Poverty as a Challenge is an important chapter of Class 9 Economics that helps students understand the concept of poverty, its causes, poverty trends in India, and the government strategies adopted to reduce it. This chapter explains poverty not only in terms of income but also in relation to health, education, and overall living conditions of the people.
In this post, you will find clear, accurate, and exam-oriented NCERT exercise solutions for Poverty as a Challenge. All answers are written in simple and easy language, strictly according to the latest CBSE syllabus, and are highly useful for quick revision, homework, and effective exam preparation.
Chapter 3 – Poverty as a Challenge
Exercise Solutions
Ques 1:- Describe how the poverty line is estimated in India.
Ans:- A person is considered poor if his or her income or consumption level falls below a given minimum level necessary to fulfil basic needs. This minimum level is known as the poverty line.
• In India, the poverty line is estimated by calculating the cost of basic necessities such as food, clothing, footwear, fuel, light, education, and health in rupees.
• The poverty line changes from time to time because prices of goods and services vary over the years.
• The poverty line is different for rural and urban areas as their living conditions, work patterns, and expenses are not the same.
Ques 2:- Do you think the present methodology of poverty estimation is appropriate ?
Ans:- The present methodology of poverty estimation is not fully appropriate because it is mainly a quantitative concept.
• It defines poverty in a narrow manner by focusing only on income or consumption.
• It talks about a minimum subsistence level of living rather than a reasonable standard of living.
• Many economists suggest broadening the concept to include human poverty.
• Factors such as education, health, employment, self-confidence, equality, and quality of life should also be included while estimating poverty, as they reflect the overall well-being of people.
Ques 3 :- Describe the poverty trends in India since 1973.
Ans:- Since 1973–74, poverty trends in India have shown a continuous decline in the percentage of people living below the poverty line.
• In 1973–74, nearly 45% of India’s population was below the poverty line.
• Poverty declined gradually over the years due to economic growth and anti-poverty programmes.
• Between 1993–94 and 2011–12, the poverty ratio fell sharply from about 45% to around 22%.
• The number of poor people declined from 407 million in 2004–05 to about 270 million in 2011–12.
• This period recorded an average annual decline of about 2.2 percentage points in poverty.
• However, poverty reduction has not been uniform across all states and social groups.
Ques 4:- Discuss the major reasons for poverty in India.
Ans:- The major reasons for poverty in India are as follows:
• Low economic growth during British rule: Colonial policies destroyed traditional industries and discouraged industrial development.
• Unemployment and underemployment: A large population with limited job opportunities has increased poverty.
• Unequal distribution of land and resources: A small section of society controls most of the resources.
• High population growth: It has increased the pressure on limited resources and employment.
• Regional and social inequalities: Benefits of development did not reach all regions and social groups equally.
• Indebtedness and social customs: Poor households often fall into debt due to social obligations.
Ques 5:-Identify the economic and social groups which are most vulnerable to poverty in India.
Ans:- The following economic and social groups are most vulnerable to poverty in India:
• Social groups: Scheduled Caste households and Scheduled Tribe households.
• Economic groups: Rural agricultural labour households and urban casual labour households..
Ques 6:- Give an account of interstate disparities of poverty in India.
Ans:- Interstate disparities of poverty in India indicate that the proportion of poor people differs widely from one state to another.
• Poverty is high in states such as Odisha, Bihar, Assam, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh, while several states have poverty levels below the national average.
• Punjab and Haryana have reduced poverty due to high agricultural growth, whereas Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have shown improvement through social welfare measures.
• These disparities are mainly due to differences in economic development, government policies and distribution of resources.
Ques 7:- Describe global poverty trends.
Ans:- The success in reducing poverty varies widely across different regions of the world, leading to unequal poverty levels.
• Since the 1990s, global poverty has declined mainly due to rapid economic growth in countries like China and India.
• However, poverty remains high in regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South Asia, where economic growth has been slow.
• In recent years, challenges like pandemics, conflicts, and climate change have slowed the pace of poverty reduction in many countries.
Ques 8:- Describe current government strategy of poverty alleviation.
Ans:- Removal of poverty has been one of the major objectives of India’s developmental strategy. The current government strategy of poverty alleviation is based on two main planks:
• Promotion of Economic Growth
• Targeted Anti-poverty Programmes
• Some of the important anti-poverty programmes undertaken by the government are:
• Prime Minister’s Rozgar Yojana (PMRY):- Started in 1993, this programme aims to create self-employment opportunities for educated unemployed youth in rural areas and small towns
• Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY):- Launched in 2000, this scheme aims to provide basic services such as primary health, primary education, rural housing, drinking water, and rural electrification.
• National Food for Work Programme (NFWP):- Launched in 2004 in 150 most backward districts, this programme provides wage employment to rural poor who are willing to do unskilled manual work.
• National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA):- Passed in 2005, this Act guarantees 100 days of wage employment in a year to every rural household. At least one-third of the jobs are reserved for women. Later, the scheme was extended to all rural districts of the country and renamed MGNREGA.
Ques 9:- Answer the following questions briefly
(i) What do you understand by human poverty?
Ans:- Human poverty refers to poverty that is not limited only to low income or economic status. It also includes lack of education, poor health facilities, malnutrition, social discrimination, and inequality.
• Therefore, the aim of the government should not be merely to remove income poverty, but to eliminate human poverty by improving education, healthcare, and overall quality of life.
(ii) Who are the poorest of the poor ?
Ans:- Women, children (especially the girl child), and elderly people in a poor family are regarded as the poorest of the poor because they are systematically denied equal access to resources available within the family.
(iii) What are the main features of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 ?
Ans:- The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) was passed in September 2005.
• The main features of NREGA, 2005 are:
• The Act guarantees 100 days of wage employment in a year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
• The scheme was initially implemented in 200 districts and later extended to all rural districts of the country.
• One-third of the total employment opportunities are reserved for women.
• The Central Government and State Governments establish Employment Guarantee Funds to finance the scheme.
• If employment is not provided within 15 days of application, the applicant is entitled to a daily unemployment allowance.
Conclusion: The chapter Poverty as a Challenge helps students develop a deeper understanding of poverty as a serious economic and social issue. By studying this chapter, students learn about the causes of poverty, poverty trends in India, and the various government measures taken to reduce it. The NCERT exercise solutions provided in this post aim to simplify concepts, strengthen exam preparation, and help students score better by presenting answers in a clear and well-structured manner.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is meant by Poverty as a Challenge?
Poverty as a Challenge refers to understanding poverty as a major economic and social problem that affects income, health, education, and living conditions.
Q2. Which class and subject does Poverty as a Challenge belong to?
Poverty as a Challenge is a chapter of Class 9 Economics prescribed by the CBSE board.
Q3. Are these NCERT solutions useful for exams?
Yes, these NCERT exercise solutions are exam-oriented, written in simple language, and helpful for revision and scoring good marks.
Q4. Does this chapter include government strategies to reduce poverty?
Yes, the chapter explains various government programmes and strategies adopted for poverty alleviation in India.
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