Social Justice: Poverty

Social Justice: Poverty - its causes and implications

"Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an art of justice"

Nelson Mandela

   Poverty 

• Concept of Poverty
• Approaches to poverty
• Nutritional Approach
• Relative deprivation Approach
• SDG and Poverty
• HDI, MPI & SECC
• Causes of the Poverty
• Poverty vis-à-vis inequality
• Implications of the Poverty
• Government efforts

Poverty 

According to Amartya Sen, Poverty refers to the deprivation of basic capabilities rather than merely lowness of income.

In its broadest form, it means survival along with contribution and participation to social activities.

Poverty is a multi-dimensional concept which has economic, political, social and cultural manifestation.

Economic manifestation 

• Work Opportunity
• Equal pay for equal work
• Safe work condition

Political manifestation 

• Political freedom
• Political participation
• Inforced and active citizenship

Social manifestation 

• Health
• Education
• Skill development

Cultural manifestation 

• Ability to preserve and promote indigenous culture

The problem of poverty has been with human culture and civilization since ages. The state of poverty was faced by all members of society.

However with better social organisation and technological development, the humans started controlling nature.

But, the fruits of socio-economic progress/development have not been equally shared by all. Hence, in current scenario, poverty is socially created.

Traditional Society - Equally dependent on nature for food, cloth, shelter and other basic amenities.

But with technological and social development, Modern Society is not fully dependent on nature but the fruits of development is not shared equally → Relative deprivation → Poverty (which is a social creation).

Question for practice 

An essential condition to eradicate the poverty is to liberate the poor from deprivation. Discuss.

Approaches to Poverty 

1. Nutritional Approach - followed by Developing Countries
2. Relative deprivation Approach - followed by Developed Countries

Nutritional Approach - It is calculated in terms of consumption of adequate calories to maintain the working capacity of a person.

Relative deprivation Approach - Here, poverty is perceived in terms of exclusion of class from average living pattern. It emphasises more on social inequalities rather than nutritional requirements.

In India, the Absolute poverty is decreasing but the Relative poverty is increasing.

SDG and Poverty 

MDG (Millennium Development Goal) - (1990-2015)

MDG 1 (Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger) - reduce poverty by half. → India is successful in achieving it.

SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) - (2015-2030)

• SDG 1 (End Poverty in all its forms everywhere)
• Target - to be achieved by 2030

End Poverty in all its forms everywhere is the SDG 1 Goal.

By 2030, eradicate Extreme Poverty (<$1.9 per day) for all the people.

By 2030, reduce atleast by half the proportion of people living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definition.

How to achieve the goals? - Strategies to achieve the goal of No poverty 

1. Implement social protection scheme and ensure substantial coverage of poor and vulnerable.
2. Ensure that all have equal right to economic resources, technology, natural resources basic services, etc.
3. Build the resilience of poor and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate related events or social and economic shocks and disasters.
4. Ensure significant mobilisation of resources through enhanced cooperation from developed countries.
5. Create a sound policy framework at national, regional and international level which are both pro-poor as well as gender sensitive.

Multi dimensional Poverty index (MPI)

• It was released by UNDP and Oxford poverty & human development initiative.
• Dimensions of MPI -
• Health
• Child Mortality
• Nutrition
• Education
• Year of schooling
• Child attendance
• Standard of Living
• Cooking fuel
• Sanitation
• Drinking water
• Electricity
• Housing
• Assets

Human Development Index (HDI) 

• It was released by UNDP.
• Dimensions of HDI -
• Health
• Life expectancy at birth
• Education
• Expected year of schooling
• Mean year of schooling
• Standard of living
• GNI per Capita
• Floor
• Drinking water
• Sanitation
• Electricity
• Cooking fuel
• Asset

Note - Dimensions of MPI and HDI are same but the indicators are different.

Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) 

• Urban census - Under the Ministry of Urban development
• Rural census - Under the Ministry of Rural development
• Caste census - Under the Ministry of Home Affairs

Objective:

1. Calculation of caste wise population.
2. Collecting data about the socio-economic and educational conditions of the caste.
3. Ranking of households on their socio-economic status.

There is a three fold strategy -

1. Automatic exclusion
2. Automatic inclusion
• Without shelter
• Destitute
• Manual scavenger
• Bonded labour
• Particularly vulnerable tribal groups
3. 7 Deprivation indicators
• No adult member between 16 to 59 years of age group
• Female headed household with no adult male member
• No literate adult above the age of 25 years
• Household with disabled people
• SCs & STs
• Household with kutcha walls and roofs
• Deriving major income from casual labour

Critical analysis of Socio-Economic Caste Census 

• It is a multi-dimensional approach which makes use of technology. It ensures public participation.
• Poverty line indicates number of poors, however SECC gives comprehensive coverage about the poors.
• It is a holistic census which not only target poverty but the 'quantum of deprivation'.
• It ensures better identification of beneficiaries and is based on 'piecemeal engineering approach (targeted beneficiary approach)'.
• It is based on bottom up approach.

Lacunae in SECC 

• SECC depends on data for its success. Any discrepancy would defeat the purpose.
• Regular updating of data involves huge public cost.
• The 7 deprivation indicators are insufficient (as it does not include transgenders, malnourishment, IMR, MMR, etc.)
• It has not been clearly ensured that how the data would be used.
• Caste census is yet not released.

Way forward 

1. Digitisation of data
2. Clarity with respect to its uses
3. Regular upgradation of data
4. New yardsticks with respect to deprivation to make its coverage holistic.

Causes of the Poverty 

The causes of the poverty can be divided into the following sub-headings -

1. Economic causes
2. Demographic causes
3. Socio-cultural causes
4. Politico-administrative causes
5. Climatic causes

Economic causes of the poverty 

1. Low agricultural productivity
2. Lack of alternate employment opportunity
3. Immobility of labour
4. Decline of village industry
5. Lack of access to formal credit system
6. Globalisation → Comsumerism
7. Rainfed nature of agriculture
8. Lack of industrialisation
• Lack of labour intensive industries
9. Rapid urbanisation
10. Mechanisation
11. Lack of proper implementation of land reforms
12. Lack of skill development
13. Lack of opportunity for development of human capital, etc

Demographic causes of the poverty 

1. Population growth (increase in birth rate/increase in fertility rate)
2. Age structure (More dependent people (child & old age) → low standard of living)
3. Health profile of the family

Socio-Cultural causes of the poverty 

1. Lack of education
2. Patriarchy → denies access to one gender with respect to all the resources → feminisation of poverty
3. Caste system
4. Joint family → standard of living is compromised as well as dependency ratio is very high
5. Customs (such as dowry, customary practices like shradh, bhoj, etc.)

Politico-administrative causes of the poverty 

1. Corruption
2. Misappropriation of the funds
3. Cornering resources by elite section
4. Lack of political will to alleviate poverty
5. Unequal distribution of benefits
6. Development policies of the government
• For example - development led displacement of people
7. Lack of good governance → inability to implement the government policies/schemes.
8. Poor identification of the beneficiaries
9. Failure to ensure basic infrastructure

Climatic causes of the poverty 

1. Drought
2. Cyclone
3. Earthquake
4. any other disaster

Difference between Rural and Urban Poverty 

Rural poverty 

• Causes - 
• Agricultural distress
• Lack of alternate employment opportunity
• Lack of village industry
• Lack of access to formal credit system, etc
• Composition -
• Sharecroppers
• Landless labourers
• Small and Marginal farmers
• Density - low
• Caste - generally belonging to lower caste
• Occupation - generally engaged in Agricultural sector
• Feeling of relative deprivation -
• Generally, Low → Low crime rate in rural areas
• But in case of Extreme deprivation → suicide
• Awareness - Low with respect to socio-Political and economical rights
• Government Programs -
• MGNREGS
• National Rural Livelihood Mission
• Health - Poor health condition due to ignorance, lack of infrastructure and awareness

Urban Poverty 

• Causes -
• Rapid urbanisation
• Migration and failure to absorb the migrant forces
• Informalisation of labour market
• Globalisation, etc
• Composition -
• Informal sector workers
• Daily wage workers
• Domestic helpers
• Density - High
• Caste - generally belonging to lower caste
• Occupation -generally engaged in industry sector (mostly informal)
• Feeling of relative deprivation 
• Generally, High → High crime rates in Urban areas
• If moderate feeling → Suicide
• Awareness - High awareness wrt rights 
• Government Schemes - Urban livelihood mission
• Health - Poor health due to lack of affordability and accessibility

Poverty vis-a-vis Inequality 

Question for practice 

Even though millions have been lifted out of poverty in recent decades, the rise in inequality may have dire consequences for the society. Comment.

Answer 

According to the World Bank report 1.3 Billion people were lifted out of the poverty in India between 1994 and 2012. However, according to World inequality report the share in National income of India's top 10% has been around 56%.

With respect to Inequality index, India's ranking is 140 out of 156 Countries.

According to Oxfam survey, 1% of Indians have cornered 74% of total assets of India.

Causes of Inequality in India 

1. Unequal asset distribution
2. Flawed laws of inheritance
3. Asymmetrical quality education and employment opportunities
4. Stratified society with respect to caste, ethnicity, gender, etc. leading to unequal access to resources
5. Corruption
6. Market monopoly by some big firms
7. Consumerist culture due to globalisation
8. Political and administrative incapacity, etc.

Consequences of Inequality 

1. Eroding social cohesion, mobilisation of people on parocial identities.
2. High crime rates
3. The probability of disability is high due to lack of ability to afford health infrastructure.
4. Educational elites increase, since in unequal society average level of education decreases.
5. It will result in social stratification which will create the feeling of hostility among groups.
6. When wealth distribution becomes concentrated in minority group, the political power tends to be skewed in favour of that wealthy group.
7. Poverty and inequality forms a viscous cycle.
8. Inequality leads to ghettoization and ghettoistion leads to social exclusion.

Way forward 

1. We need to ensure an inclusive growth model. Hence, principle of capability approach of Amartya Sen can be applied.
2. Ensure effective delivery of basic amenities.
3. Provide qualitative healthcare facilities.
4. Extend quality education to all along with quality employment generation.
5. Successful models from different countries can be adopted.
• For example - In South Korea companies have taken the responsibility in providing skills and their upgradation.

Government measures wrt Poverty 

1. 5 year plans
2. Nationalisation of banks
3. 20 Points programs during emergency
4. Government Schemes for -
1. Wage employment - such as MGNREGA
2. Self employment - such as Startup Policy
3. Food security - such as PDS, Mid day meal
4. Social security - such as Atal Pension Yojana
5. Miscellaneous - such as PM Gram Sarak Yojana (providing better infrastructure as well as for employment generation)

Lacunaes in Government efforts -

1. Administrative laxity
2. Corruption
3. Poor identification of beneficiaries
4. Centralised approach/top-down approach
5. One size fit all approcah
6. Lack of proper mechanism for holding accountability
7. Unholy nexus between politicians and corporates
8. Inactive civil societies to hold the government accountable
9. Lack of outcome based policy making
10. Lack of evidence based policy making or evaluation based policy making
11. Lack of integrated planning
12. Lack of trained personnel to implement government policies
13. Inadequate infrastructure with respect to grievance redressal
14. Lack of awareness among the stakeholders with respect to their rights and entitlements
15. Lack of availability and accessibility of infrastructure with respect to service delivery
16. Inadequate  government spending especially with respect to social infrastructure

Question for practice 

Can poverty be treated as violation of Human right? Discuss.

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Notes on other subjects 

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Optional Subject 

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Note - This is my Vision IAS Notes (Vision IAS Class Notes) and Ashutosh Pandey Sir's Public Administration Class notes. I've also added some of the information on my own. 

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