Poverty and Developmental Issues
Poverty and developmental issues for UPSC GS I: poverty lines and committees, the Multidimensional Poverty Index, causes of poverty and anti-poverty programmes.
SyllabusGS I · Poverty and developmental issues
Poverty is studied in three papers: as a social condition in GS I, as a welfare question in GS II, and as an economic issue in GS III. This chapter gives the social lens — who is poor, why, and what development has and has not changed.
What UPSC asks. Prelims asks about poverty estimation committees, the Multidimensional Poverty Index and its indicators, and flagship schemes. Mains GS I asks whether poverty is better measured by income or by deprivation, why poverty persists among particular groups, and how development can be made inclusive.
Key sub-topics
| Sub-topic | What to know |
|---|---|
| Concepts | Absolute vs relative poverty; capability approach; vicious circle of poverty |
| Measurement | Alagh, Lakdawala, Tendulkar, Rangarajan; consumption surveys |
| Multidimensional poverty | Global MPI (UNDP–OPHI); NITI Aayog’s National MPI and its 12 indicators |
| Causes | Structural, social, economic, demographic, ecological |
| Programmes | MGNREGA, NFSA, DAY-NRLM, PM-JAY, Aspirational Districts |
| Developmental issues | Inequality, regional disparity, exclusion, leakages |
Read the topic page first, then revise and practise.