Poverty Line Politics
Official poverty statistics in India are not only out of date but lack legitimacy. The income threshold that defines the national poverty line has not been thoroughly reviewed since 1979. Inadequate adjustments for inflation have progressively eroded its purchasing value to an embarrassingly frugal basket of food.
Describing the national poverty line as a “starvation line”, campaigners lobbied successfully for a review which was completed in 2009. However, the Tendulkar Committee, a government-appointed body,fudged the opportunity to restore the benchmark to a credible food poverty line, let alone add in the value of some basic non-food items.
The committee recommended no change to the urban rate and only a small increase in the rural poverty line. The purchasing power equates to daily food purchases of only 1776 calories and 1999 calories respectively. The proposals have passed a first stage of government approval during 2010.
Despite the modest adjustment, applying the recommendation to the 2004/05 data lifts the national poverty rate from 28.3% to 37.2%, an increase of 100 million people. The sensitivity of this calculation feeds directly into the national budget as most welfare benefits are targeted to families identified as below the poverty line (BPL).
National pride is already embarrassed by India's contribution of about one third of global poverty numbers. The country’s most critical development indicator is therefore at risk of assessment by virtue of political and economic influences rather than human necessity.
Official poverty statistics in India are not only out of date but lack legitimacy. The income threshold that defines the national poverty line has not been thoroughly reviewed since 1979. Inadequate adjustments for inflation have progressively eroded its purchasing value to an embarrassingly frugal basket of food.
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| Garbage piled high in Indian municipal dumps ©Centre for Science and Environment |
The committee recommended no change to the urban rate and only a small increase in the rural poverty line. The purchasing power equates to daily food purchases of only 1776 calories and 1999 calories respectively. The proposals have passed a first stage of government approval during 2010.
Despite the modest adjustment, applying the recommendation to the 2004/05 data lifts the national poverty rate from 28.3% to 37.2%, an increase of 100 million people. The sensitivity of this calculation feeds directly into the national budget as most welfare benefits are targeted to families identified as below the poverty line (BPL).
National pride is already embarrassed by India's contribution of about one third of global poverty numbers. The country’s most critical development indicator is therefore at risk of assessment by virtue of political and economic influences rather than human necessity.
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