An Irrational View on Defining Poverty Line

The blog is dedicated to a Media person  of repute who spared his time to inspire. The blogger is well aware of the incoherence in the piece ,Still dedicates his crude attempt .

The most common methods used to define poverty line is based on income or consumption levels. A minimum level of food requirement,clothing ,footwear, clothing,light,educational and medical requirement are determined for subsistence.

A different set of measures by social scientist was forced into the simplistic approach in Seventies and Eighties. Indicators like literacy levels, lack of general resistance due to malnutrition, lack of access to healthcare and to safe drinking water,sanitation and lack of opportunities were suggested. However much critical terms like social exclusion and vulnerability were not paid ample attention in drawing of poverty line.

Till date the poverty line “quantified as a number” is a vague measurement in itself. It does not capture other aspects related to poverty — ill health, low educational attainments, geographical isolation, ineffective access to law, powerlessness in civil society and other social disadvantages.

Based on consumer behavior in 1973-74 it was estimated that, on an average, consumer expenditure of Rs.49 per capita per month was associated with a calorie intake of 2400 per ca pita per day in rural areas and Rs.57 per capita per month with a calorie intake of 2100 per day in urban areas. It was opinion-ed that since people in rural areas engage more in physical work hence the difference. The concept of poverty line used here was partly normative and partly behavioral  The norm calorie requirement, does not seek to measure the nutritional status, incidence of undernourishment or under-nourishment in the population.

Till date the poverty line “quantified as a number” on the basis of 1973-74 consumption pattern is an of example of  vague measurement. It does not capture other aspects related to poverty — ill health, low educational attainments, geographical isolation, ineffective access to law, powerlessness in civil society and other social disadvantages.

Nor does this take into account the cost of communication , both individual and mass.

Any Media person worth his salt will argue that a minimum expenditure of Rs. 500 per family of four or five will be needed in the times we live in and for one of the few times the mass in general will agree wholeheartedly with media. Cost of transportation, cost of cooking and other miscellaneous cost seem to have been lost in the din.

Cost of Social and cultural obligations and indebtedness are a far away vision to be expected from our planners even in near future.

The difference between data collected by NSSO (National Sample Survey Organization  and National Accounts Statistics have always been different and the difference has been increasing over the years.

One wonders why the Planning department and survey organization of Center or Uttarakhand have any data related to what natural calamity can do to people leaving below poverty line.

A systematic approach would be to arrange the basis of definition of poverty line in public domain.  At minimum the basic requirements can be deliberated upon , and be defined and then be converted at consumer price index again in public domain and multiplied by a factor depending on geographical divisions and another factor for an estimated inflation till the next exercise is carried.

Otherwise meals at Rs. 15 and jugglery of data will be the motive and not alleviation…