Topic: Issues relating to poverty and hunger
Q3. “Poverty in India is increasingly a reflection of capability deprivation rather than income scarcity”. Elucidate this shift and highlight its policy implications. (10 M)
Difficulty Level: Easy
Reference: InsightsIAS
Why the question:
To assess how India’s poverty profile is evolving from income-centric to capability-based deprivation and its implications for welfare and governance policy design.Key Demand of the question:
The question asks to elucidate the shift from income scarcity to capability deprivation and highlight how this transformation influences India’s poverty alleviation strategy and policy orientation.Structure of the Answer:
Introduction:Briefly define the changing nature of poverty in India, citing MPI or HDI to show the move toward multidimensional deprivation.
Body:
- Explain the meaning of capability deprivation with examples from health, education, gender, and digital divides.
- Describe the key drivers behind this shift—economic growth without inclusion, informality, and intergenerational poverty.
- Highlight policy implications—rights-based welfare, capability-building programmes, and data-driven multidimensional targeting.
Conclusion:
Emphasize that true poverty eradication lies in expanding freedoms and human capabilities, not merely raising incomes.
