question_answer

   (a) Who are considered poor?                   (b) Explain and identify the economic and social groups which are most   vulnerable   to poverty.             

Answer:

                  (a) A person is considered poor if his/her income or consumption level falls below a given 'minimum level' necessary to fulfil some basic needs. As per year2000, persons earning less than 1640/month in the rural area and less than 2270/ month in the urban areas are considered poor. Persons getting less than 2400 calories/day in the rural areas and less than 2100 calories/day in the urban areas are considered poor. (b) Social groups which are most vulnerable to poverty are Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes households. They are mostly illiterate, unaware, landless, jobless, prone to diseases, etc. Among the economic groups, the most vulnerable groups include the rural agricultural households and the urban casual labour household. It is so due to seasonal nature of job, minimum wages, exploitation by the employer, etc.