MDG on Poverty not Achievable
Rethinking Poverty, the 2010 Report on the World Social Situation issued by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs laments, over reliance on market forces and economic liberalization have led to neglect of nationally designed and developmentally-oriented strategies, to the detriment of the world's poor.
The report concludes that, using 1.25 dollar a day as the international poverty line, there are 1.4 billion people living below poverty today, declining from 1.9 billion in 1981 but this decrease in due to the efforts of BRIC countries, mainly China. According to the report, during 2007-08, about 100 million people in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, because of acute food crises, have been badly affected while another 200 million as a result of global and financial crises of 2008-09.
The figures seem to be on lower side as in many countries, particularly India, the debate about below poverty line )BPL) has refused to die. The Government is sticking to the Planning Commission estimates of 26%, the Tendulkar Committee has estimated it more than 38%, using the same government standards. While the World Bank revised its estimate from 1 dollar a day to 1.25 dollars in 2005, Indian government has not even thought about revising it in the last more than 25 years despite all the inflation (though it was quick to raise the limit for creamy layer for OBCs from 1.0 lakh to 4.5 lakhs). Only the last week, Wadhwa committee of Supreme Court has come to the conclusion that the BPL bar be raised to Rs. 100/- per day. Is the government listening?
The report concludes that, using 1.25 dollar a day as the international poverty line, there are 1.4 billion people living below poverty today, declining from 1.9 billion in 1981 but this decrease in due to the efforts of BRIC countries, mainly China. According to the report, during 2007-08, about 100 million people in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia, because of acute food crises, have been badly affected while another 200 million as a result of global and financial crises of 2008-09.
The figures seem to be on lower side as in many countries, particularly India, the debate about below poverty line )BPL) has refused to die. The Government is sticking to the Planning Commission estimates of 26%, the Tendulkar Committee has estimated it more than 38%, using the same government standards. While the World Bank revised its estimate from 1 dollar a day to 1.25 dollars in 2005, Indian government has not even thought about revising it in the last more than 25 years despite all the inflation (though it was quick to raise the limit for creamy layer for OBCs from 1.0 lakh to 4.5 lakhs). Only the last week, Wadhwa committee of Supreme Court has come to the conclusion that the BPL bar be raised to Rs. 100/- per day. Is the government listening?
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