Who are the Poor?
A poor is an individual who does not have the minimum essential necessities of life. Street cobblers, push-cart vendors, rag pickers, women who sell flowers, beggars and vendors are some instances of poor and weak groups in urban neighbourhoods. The poor people maintain few assets and live in kutcha huts with walls built of baked mud and roofs built of grass, bamboo, thatch and wood. The poorest of them do not even have such homes. In country areas, many of them are with nothing. Even if some of them own the property, it is either dry or wasteland. Several people do not get to have even 2 meals a day. Starvation and hunger are the principal characteristics of the poverty struck families. The poor need fundamental literacy and jobs and hence have very poor economic possibilities.
Quick link:Â Impact of Human Capital on Economic Growth
Types of Poor
There are multiple ways to describe poverty. Namely:
- Chronic poor: People who are constantly poor and those who are normally poor but who may seldom have a small amount of money (for example casual workers) are classified collectively as the chronic poor.
- Churning poor: Another group are the churning poor who normally go in and out of poverty (for example small farmers and seasonal workers).
- Transient poor: The seldom poor who are the rich utmost of the time but may seldom have a piece of bad luck. They are known as the transient poor.
Solved Questions.
| Q.1- Who are poor? What do you understand by urban poor and rural poor? |
| Poor | A poor is a person who does not enjoy the minimum basic necessities of life. |
| (1) Urban Poor | Poor people living in urban areas include:
1. Rag pickers 2. Beggars 3. Pushcart vendors 4. Street cobbler etc. Shelter: 1. They live in a kutcha house with walls made of baked mud and roofs made of grass, bamboo etc. 2. Some of them even do not have such shelters. Living: 1. They possess few assets. 2. They do not have a fixed source of earning a livelihood. Migrants: 1. Most of the urban poor are largely the overflow of the rural poor. 2. They had migrated to urban areas in search of employment and livelihood. |
| (2) Rural Poor | Poor people living in rural areas include:
1. Landless labourers 2. Cultivators with small landholdings etc. Landless: 1. Many of the rural poor are landless. 2. Even if some of them possess the land, it is only dry or wastes land. Fooding: 1. Many rural poor’s do not get to have even two meals a day. |
| Also, Explore: |
| Q.2- What are the common characteristics of poor people? | |
| ANSWER: | |
| Â Lack of basic amenities |
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| Starvation and hunger |
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| Malnutrition |
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| Bigger family size |
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| Limited economic opportunities |
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| Debt Trap |
|
Do you know the Meaning of Globalisation?
| MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION : |
| Q.1- A ______ is a person does not enjoy the minimum basic necessities of life. |
| a. Poor
b. Rich c. Both (a) and (b) d. None of the above
|
| Q.2 Doctors are covered under |
| a. Chronic poor
b. Transient poor c. Non-poor d. Rural poor
|
| Q.3 Casual workers are covered under |
| a. Chronic poor
b. Transient poor c. Non-poor d. Rural poor
|
| Q.4 Which of the following are covered under the category of Urban poor? |
| a. Rag pickers
b. Beggars c. Pushcart vendors d. All of the above |
| ANSWER KEY |
| 1-a, 2-c, 3-a, 4-d |
| Important Topics in Economics: |
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