30 May 2026 Editorial Discussion - UPSC Social Justice

Poverty, Digital Politics, International Law: Contemporary Issues and Analysis

Measuring Poverty in India Poverty measurement in India has evolved through various committees and methodologies, with the poverty line serving as the primary benchmark. The poverty line is determined by calculating the minimum expenditure required for a basket of...

What is the primary method used to define the poverty line in India, as described in the discussion?

By calculating the expenditure on a basket of essential goods and services

According to the transcript, which committee most recently defined the poverty line in India before the current government stopped defining it?

Rangarajan Committee

What is the primary method used to define the poverty line in India, as described in the discussion?

By calculating the expenditure on a basket of essential goods and services

According to the transcript, which committee most recently defined the poverty line in India before the current government stopped defining it?

Rangarajan Committee

What is the definition of a 'Poverty Line' in the context of poverty measurement?

The Poverty Line is a threshold of monthly per capita expenditure on essential goods (food, clothing, housing, health, education) below which a person is considered poor. It is used to identify and quantify the population living in poverty.

How did the Rangarajan Committee (2014) define the rural poverty line in India?

The Rangarajan Committee defined the rural poverty line as 68% of the average monthly per capita consumer expenditure. Mathematically, it is expressed as: $Poverty\ Line_{rural} = 0.68 \times \text{Average Monthly Per Capita Consumer Expenditure}$.