Suchergebnisse

The poor in India are worst affected due to COVID-19 pandemic. The nationwide lockdown though an effective safety measure, has made their condition more pathetic. As per, World Bank 2020 estimates, there are around 50.7 million people in India living in extreme poverty with income of $1.90 per day. The Government of India has announced several remedial measures to tackle economic as well humanitarian crisis but its effective implementation is a major challenge due to enormity of the problem and the large number of affected people. Moreover, the measures announced are based on top-down approach and not on detailed assessment of impact on different sections of the population. The different segments of the poor have suffered from the impact of the pandemic and subsequent lockdown, in different proportions. They have suffered from severe financial losses. In this chapter, we have made detailed assessment of impact of the pandemic on individuals, different sectors of economy and on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The measures announced by the Prime Minister are discussed along with their implications for the poor and MSMEs. At the lowest end of the spectrum, are the migrant labors who are worst affected. They are required to travel for their homes due to loss of livelihoods and require immediate relief. At the other end, are the skilled labors working in organized or unorganized sectors, who have not lost their jobs but are facing reduction in wages. In order to make the systematic assessment of the requirements, we have grouped the people in three categories namely high impact, medium impact and low impact and have assessed the requirements for each category. So also, it is deliberated as to what extent, the government measures address their requirements. The gaps are identified and detailed suggestions are made. Major structural changes such as extensive use of information and communication technology, development of on-line platforms for education, strengthening of rural infrastructure, development of ...

AbstractSustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 emphasize on poverty reduction and inclusive growth. In India, development policies focusing on poverty reduction have been implemented since independence. However, there is evidence of rising inequality and slowing down of the rate of poverty reduction, after the introduction of economic reforms. The state governments in India have an important role to play in poverty alleviation. Thus, it is necessary to measure the performance of the states in respect of the same. Data envelopment analysis is used by considering input variables, namely, growth, development expenditure, irrigation, and government performance. Percentage of non‐poor is used as an output variable. This paper measures efficiency with which poverty has been alleviated in 19 states covering 90% population, for the years 2006, 2010, and 2014. Resource‐rich states are found to be inefficient, whereas states with resource scarcity use them efficiently. Moreover, poor states with lower per capita gross domestic product (GDP) are found to be more efficient as compared to those with higher per capita GDP. The states with high incidence of poverty are found to be catching up with states with low incidence of poverty. It is found that inequality and high indebtedness adversely impact the efficiency of states.