Impact and Causes of Poverty

Providing minimum basic needs to the people and poverty reduction have been major objectives of India. To achieve a basic living for everyone, the upliftment of the poorest of the poor, integration of the impoverished into society, and a pattern of development envisioned in the next five-year plans were all prioritized. Poverty is a challenge not only for India but for the entire world, as more than one-fifth of the worlds poor (around 300 million) live in India alone and are not able to meet their basic needs. Poverty has a variety of faces that have changed over time and from place to place and it has been described in a variety of ways. People most frequently wish to get out of poverty. Therefore, poverty is a call to action for both the wealthy and the poor, a call to alter the world so that more people may access education, healthcare, decent shelter, food, and protection from violence, as well as a voice in what happens in their communities.

Poverty must be identified, examined, and even experienced to understand what contributes to its reduction, what works, and what does not change over time.

What is Poverty?

Poverty is a particular issue that affects many countries around the world. There can not be a universally acknowledged definition of poverty. Broadly it can be said that:

Poverty refers to a state in which an individual is unable to fulfil even the basic necessities of life. The minimum requirements include food, clothing, shelter, education, and health facilities.

A nation suffers from a cycle of poverty when a large portion of the population is deprived of even the most necessities for an extended period. If the minimum needs are not fulfilled, a person has to undergo pain and suffering. Sickness and disabilities render him helpless in all aspects of life. Generation after generation person who lives in poverty grows in poverty and dies in poverty. The population either breeds or multiplies itself.

Causes of Poverty

The structural and social aspects that define the poor’s lives are the root causes of poverty. Poor people are deprived of high-quality education and are unable to develop the skills necessary to increase their incomes. They are also denied access to medical care and are the main targets of caste, religion, and other forms of discrimination. The primary causes of poverty can be categorised into two parts:

(A) Economic Causes

1. Under-utilisation of Natural Resources:

India is gifted with a wealth of natural resources. But, it is unable to use its natural resources properly. A significant portion of resources such as water, timber, energy, and mineral resources are underutilised or unutilised in India.

2. Outdated Technology:

In India, the level of technology is low-quality and outdated. With the use of obsolete technology, the level of productivity is low, and the country continues to be in a state of poverty.

3. Widespread Unemployment:

In India, massive unemployment is a serious problem. Open unemployment, hidden unemployment, underemployment, seasonal unemployment, and other types of unemployment are all part of the problem of widespread unemployment. The country’s labour force is idle and underutilised due to unemployment or intermittent employment as casual labourers. Casual workers are the most vulnerable segment of society because they lack both job stability and assets. As a result, income and purchasing power both decline. So poverty and unemployment are closely related.

4. Backwardness of Agriculture:

The main causes of India’s agricultural backwardness are a lack of adequate water supplies, fertilizers, pesticides, high-producing varieties of seeds, and low technology. Due to this, India’s productivity per hectare and per person is also low, which is why the majority of our farmers are poor. The main causes of poverty in rural India include lack of access to agricultural land, unequal distribution of land ownership, and the failure of land reforms.

5. Inflationary Pressure:

The constant increase in the cost of mass-produced items places a strain on the lives of the poor and middle-class people in society. There is increasing pressure on the poor in this area, in particular, due to the ongoing increase in food and food grain costs. A significant portion of the population has been pushed below the poverty line as a result of this inflationary pressure.

6. Unequal Distribution of Wealth and Income:

Poverty in India is also largely caused by disparities in the distribution of wealth and income. Due to the concentration of wealth and income in a few hands, a sizable portion of the population is compelled to live in poverty. For instance, about 34% of the purchasing power of the nation is concentrated in the hands of 10% of the population.

7. Vicious Circle of Poverty:

India is currently trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty. This indicates that poverty is both a cause and an effect. Poverty is a curse, but it becomes a worse curse when it perpetuates itself.

(B) Non-Economic Causes

1. British Rule’s Legacy:

During their colonial rule, the British brutally exploited the nation. They damaged India’s traditional handicraft industry and implemented policies that were detrimental to the growth of the nation’s economy. India was still unable to recover from and make up for the devastation caused by the British emperors.

2. Rapid Population Growth:

On the one side, India has a sizable population, and on the other, it is rapidly growing. Rapid population growth, especially among the poor, is responsible for the country’s poverty crisis. The per capita income is bound to be low when total national income is unevenly distributed over a large number of people.

3. Social Factors:

India is also facing developmental challenges due to illiteracy, ignorance, backwardness, an anti-development social structure, and an unscientific outlook. Poverty in India is also a result of social structure deficiencies that negatively impact people’s quality of life and capacity to find work.

Additionally, the government’s taxing and spending policies have not been employed successfully to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.

Impact of Poverty

1. High Infant Mortality Rate:

Over 1.4 million children in India die before turning five every year, making it one of the countries with the highest child mortality rates in the world. The primary causes of death are pneumonia, malaria, diarrheal diseases, and chronic malnutrition.

2. Malnutrition:

India is the country with the highest rate of malnutrition with more than 200 million people suffering from it, including 61 million children.

3. Child Labour:

Government statistics indicate that 12.5 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 are working in India, despite the fact that child labour for those under the age of 14 is illegal. In addition, 65 million children between the ages of 6 and 14 do not attend school and work instead in private homes, businesses, quarries, farms, and even prostitution.

4. Poor Education:

Over 25% of children in India do not attend school, according to UNICEF. Boys are less likely than girls to get kicked out of school. Despite the fact that women and men must be treated equally under Indian law, particularly those from lower social strata, women are nevertheless seen as less than men. Due to their lack of education, their chances of earning a respectable income in India are slim.

5. Child Marriage:

Although it is against the law for children to marry, it is still practiced in a few Indian communities. Young women give birth to children while still in their early years. Many people die before reaching the age of adulthood. Many parents push their children to marry young in the hopes of leading better lives because of their poverty.

6. Low Purchasing Power:

In a country in which the per capita income and purchasing power of a poor country or household fall below a specified minimum standard, there is a shortage of medical facilities, low productivity, and there is illiteracy. In society, this led to epidemics and diseases.

7. Criminal Activity to meet Fundamental Needs:

Poor people will indulge in socially inappropriate behaviours, including drug addiction, crime, position, violence, and terrorism to survive. These factors weaken social norms, moral principles, and human self-worth, and as a result, more and more members of the community exhibit intolerance and disrespectful behaviour towards one another on a regular basis.

8. Exploitation of People:

The living conditions of the poor are terrible, and some family members of these people pass away from famine or hunger. When government institutions fail to defend the rights of the poor, it leads to parents selling their children into slavery because they cannot afford to feed or care for them. This is a danger to the social structure.