Problem of Poverty in India

Hegel used to say that “poverty is a social phenomenon’’. Mahatma Gandhi thought that poverty was the worst crime to be committed by any civil society. Poverty in India has two facets, one, social and another socio-economic. Those who are poor socially are generally poor educationally and economically. Poverty in India is mostly counted in absolute terms. According to Damien and Rafi, poverty in India is visible to the naked eye of anyone who tries to understand it. According to them a poor cannot afford even to send his children to the government funded school where primary education provided free of any fees. He also could not afford to get his children treated in a primary health care centre run by the government. Incidence of poverty in India has been highlighted by several economist a few of them consist of Prof. Amartya Sen, and Jeanedreze, Suresh Tendulkar, N.C. Saxena to quote a few. According to them around 25 percent population still live in abject poverty. Even the government of India has conceded that around 20 crore people in India live in a state of abject poverty with no access to portable drinking water, sanitation, and two square meals