INSIGHT UPSC QUIZ

GS Economy Basics of Indian Economy
Q.

Poverty is the lack of income and productive resources to ensure sustainable livelihoods. Which among the following are tools/methods used for estimation of poverty in India?

1. Sen Index

2. Poverty Gap Index 

3. Gini Coefficient

4. Inverted Poverty Gap

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Explanation:

ANSWER: (A)

  • Due to various limitations in the official estimation of poverty, scholars have attempted to find alternative methods. 
  • For instance, Amartya Sen, noted Nobel Laureate, has developed an index known as Sen Index. There are other tools such as Poverty Gap Index and Squared Poverty Gap
  • Such tools are used because government claims that higher rate of growth, increase in agricultural production, providing employment in rural areas and economic reform packages introduced in the 1990s have resulted in a decline in poverty levels, economists raise doubts about the government’s claim. 
  • Economist point out that the way the data are collected, items that are included in the consumption basket, methodology followed to estimate the poverty line and the number of poor are manipulated to arrive at the reduced figures of the number of poor in India. 
  • The Gini Coefficient, which is derived from the Lorenz Curve, can be used as an indicator of economic development in a country. The Gini Coefficient measures the degree of income equality in a population. The Gini Coefficient can vary from 0 (perfect equality) to 1 (perfect inequality).
  • A Gini Coefficient of zero means that everyone has the same income, while a Coefficient of 1 represents a single individual receiving all the income.

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