Poverty Alleviation programs in India
By giving families and households that are below the poverty line proper access to food, financial assistance, and basic necessities, Poverty Alleviation Programs seek to lower the poverty rate in the nation.
According to the Indian Planning Commission, consumer expenditure surveys carried out by the (NSSO) National Sample Survey Office under the Programme Implementation and the Ministry of Statistics be used to evaluate the extent of poverty in a nation. This article will discuss the many programs for reducing poverty in India as well as the steps the Indian government has taken in that direction.
To end poverty and give impoverished households access to basic necessities, the Indian Government developed several programs and schemes.
To provide homes for the needy in rural and urban areas, programs like Housing for All by 2022 and (PMAY) Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana were created. The current government initiatives, such as Stand Up India, and Start-Up India are geared toward giving individuals the means to support themselves.
In India, the poverty line is completely determined by the level of per capita income rather than by the class of prices. The majority of the poverty line is the level of income below which people cannot afford to satisfy their fundamental demands for goods and services. The poverty ratio, also known as the headcount ratio, is the percentage of people that live below this poverty threshold.
A few significant programs for reducing poverty are briefly listed below for quick reference.
National Pension Scheme
All government employees are covered by the (NPS) National Pension System, a government-sponsored pension program that was established in 2004. In 2009, the program became accessible to all citizens. It is a long-term, voluntary retirement plan.
Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana
Housing for everyone is a goal of the (PMGAY) Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana program. It began in 1985. twenty lakh housing units were to be built, of which thirteen lakh were to be in rural areas. Additionally, this plan would offer subsidized loans to people for the construction of homes. It began around 1999 or 2000. Over 7.97 lakh units were constructed under this scheme in 1999–2000, which cost 1438.39 crores. A government outlay of 1710.00 crores was allocated for this program in 2000–01. Drinking water, primary education, health, housing, and roads all saw improvements, raising the standard of living in rural areas.
Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana
The updated, comprehensive, and streamlined arrangement of the Jawahar Rozgar Yojana is called the Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana (JGSY) (JRY). On April 1st, 1999, it was launched. This program’s primary objective was to develop rural areas.
National Family Benefit Scheme
In August 1995, this plan was initiated. The state government is funding this scheme. After 2002–2003, it was moved to the sector program. The Rural department and Community are responsible for it.
How effective have the programs been reducing poverty?
In several states, the percentage of absolute poverty is currently substantially below the national average for the foremost time since independence, a result of successful efforts to reduce poverty. Hunger, undernourishment, illiteracy, and a lack of basic necessities persist in many regions of India despite efforts to combat poverty. Although the approach to reducing poverty has developed gradually over the past half-decade, there has been no significant change. Changes in program nomenclature, integration, or mutation are all possible.
None, however, led to a fundamental shift in the way assets are owned, how things are produced, or how basic necessities are provided to the poor.
Causes of Poverty Alleviation Programs’ Failure.
When evaluating these programs, academics identify three key issues that limit successful implementation. The non-poor have usurped the advantages of direct poverty alleviation measures due to the unequal allotment of land and other assets.
The resources allotted for these programs are insufficient in light of the severity of poverty. Furthermore, the implementation of these programs is mostly dependent on officials from the government and banks.
The resources are ineffectively employed and wasted because such officials lack motivation, are undertrained, corrupt, and susceptible to pressure from a combination of local elites.
Moreover, local institutions do not participate in the execution of programs.
The tremendous majority of powerless people who are living on or just above the poverty line have not been adequately addressed by government programs. It also shows that poverty cannot be eradicated by strong development alone. Any program cannot be implemented successfully without the poor’s engaged participation.
Conclusion
Only until the impoverished begin actively participating in the growth process and contributing to growth can poverty be truly erased. This is made feasible by a process of social mobilization that empowers and encourages disadvantaged people to participate. Also, this will aid in the establishment of work options that may raise income, skill levels, health, and literacy levels. Also, it’s important to locate places that are impoverished and to build infrastructure there, including roads, power, communications, training facilities, and schools.