Home > Humanities > Vol 1 No 1 December 2012 Abstract 2
Poverty Alleviation Programmes in India and Its Consequences
Dr. Devath Suresh
Review of Arts and Humanities, 1(1), pp. 08-30.

Abstract
India is the home to above 40 crores of poor did not have incomes to access a consumption basket which defines the poverty line. Of these, 83.36 per cent were in the rural areas.2 India is home to 33 per cent of the poor fall below the international poverty line. Such a high incidence of poverty is a matter of concern in view of the fact that poverty eradication has been one of the major objectives of the development planning process. Indeed, poverty is a global issue. Its eradication is considered integral to humanity’s quest for sustainable development. Reduction of poverty in India is, therefore, vital for the attainment of national and international goals. Agricultural wage earners, small and marginal farmers and casual workers engaged in nonagricultural activities, constitute the bulk of the rural poor. Small land holdings and their low productivity are the cause of poverty among households dependent on land-based activities for their livelihood. Poor educational base and lack of other vocational skills also perpetuate poverty. Due to the poor physical and social capital base, a large proportion of the people are forced to seek employment in vocations with extremely low levels of productivity and wages. The creation of employment opportunities for the unskilled workforce has been a major challenge for development planners and administrators. Poverty alleviation has been one of the guiding principles of the planning process in India. India’s anti-poverty strategy for urban and rural areas has three broad strands; promotion of economic growth; human development and targeted programmes to address the multidimensional nature of poverty. The role of economic growth in providing more employment avenues to the population has been clearly recognized. The growth-oriented approach has been reinforced by focusing on specific sectors which provide greater opportunities to the people to participate in the growth process. The various dimensions of poverty relating to health, education and other basic services have been progressively internalized in the planning process. Central and state governments have considerably enhanced allocations for the provision of education, health, sanitation and other facilities which promote capacity-building and well-being of the poor. Investments in agriculture, area development programmes and afforestation provide avenues for employment and income. Special programmes have been taken up but there no change in the life of Indian people. In the light of the above discussion in the present paper I have tried to focus the actual to poverty in India and also the efforts of the union government and its consequences.

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Suresh, Dr. Devath. (2013). Poverty Alleviation Programmes in India and Its Consequences. Review of Arts and Humanities, 1(1), pp. 08-30.

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Devath Suresh is a Post-Doctoral Fellow of Public Administration at Kakatiya University, India. At the Kakatiya University, Devath Suresh earned an M.A. in Public Administration and an M.Phil. in Urban Development at Osmania University, India, and received a Ph.D. in Tribal Development Administration in 2009. He was a member of the New Public Administration Society of India (NEPASI). He has published many articles in Public Administration and Tribal Developmental Studies, among which are several devoted to exploring and articulating issues in Public Administration.
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