Poverty in India

                       

India is the second most populous country after China with about 1.2 billion people. India has grown up to 10% over many years and is one of the largest economies in the world. But only a small percentage of the Indian population has benefited from this impressive economic boom so far, as the majority of people in India are still living in abject poverty.

      In the recent years, India emerged as the country with the highest rate of poverty reduction. But the pandemic struck India when it recorded its lowest economic growth in over a decade. The slowing economy had disproportionately impacted the rural areas, where the country’s majority of consumers and poor reside. Thus with the situation in 2020: the      highest global poverty increase happened in India.

       

                                                                                        Courtesy: https://www.theglobalstatistics.com

 Actions that should be taken by our Government to reduce poverty:

·                  Create Jobs

                   The best pathway out of poverty is a well-paying job. To kick-start job growth, the government should invest in job-creation strategies such as rebuilding  infrastructure, developing renewable energy sources, renovating abandoned housing, and making other common-sense investments that create jobs, revitalize neighborhoods, and boost our national economy.

                                                                                             Picture Courtesy: www.firstpost.com                                                       

·                       Raise the minimum wage         

                         In the early 90’s, a worker earning the minimum wage could lift a family out of  poverty. Comparing to the current situation minimum wage can’t full fill a average family needs. By boosting the minimum wage we could reduce poverty and increase  wages.

                                           Picture Courtesy: www.fastcompany.com            

                                                                                 

• Increase child education

                                 The lack of affordable, high –quality child care serves as a major barrier to  reaching the middle class. Boosting investments in Child care and  Development will help more struggling families obtain the child care they need in  order to work and improve the future economy. 

                                                                                                    Picture Courtesy:   www.deccanherald.com

 

            There are many more steps that could be taken by our government to reduce the rate  of poverty India is been facing after the pandemic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking steps for quick eradication of poverty. The prime minister believes that  poverty should be rooted out and the problem should not be tackled slowly. The central government has been providing direct benefits to the poor by removing all the middlemen and other channels.

            ”Nobody wants to remain poor. Those who are poor want to move away from poverty. This is why, all our programmes must be for the poor. All our schemes  must serve the poor.”-Narendra Modi

         

      There is nothing inevitable about poverty. We just need to build the political will to enact the policies that will increase economic security, expand opportunities, and grow the middle class.

    

                   “We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and    homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared  for  is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this  kind of poverty.” — Mother Teresa, Missionary and Saint.   

                                        

                                                 Written by: Rituja Chouhan, Anushka Mathur, Abhishek Kumar