Poverty And Social Inclusion Essay

Poverty and Social Exclusion in India through a multi-dimensional perspective:

India has come a long way, from being ruled by a foreign entity for two centuries to become a free and fast-growing economic power in the modern world. However, poverty and social exclusion still prevail in large parts of the country. They are often more inter-related than people would otherwise think. This essay will begin by defining the two terms; moving on to the history of poverty and social exclusion in India and finally to the causes and effects through a multi-dimensional view.

“Poverty means going short materially, socially and emotionally. It means spending less on food, on heating, and on clothing than someone on an average income… Above all, poverty takes

It has been separated into two main definitions: Absolute poverty, which describes a basic income that can provide a sufficient level of primary needs, such as food, water and shelter (Anon., 2011). The second, relative poverty, this is a viewing poverty in comparison to the physical possession of others (Townsend, 1971). This definition helps us to measure the gap between the rich and the poor.

Social exclusion is a social disadvantage when people of a particular community are systematically deprived of basic rights or opportunity to participate in various activities that are generally available to other communities. This concept that was first coined in France is used widely in the world to depict the various types of social disadvantages. Moreover, the concept has attracted different definitions from different

The above mentioned factors have not only affected the economic prospects of a country but also in areas of human development. India has been ranked poorly in the 2014 Human Development Index report which consists of rate of life expectancy, education and per capita income of an individual. It has ranked India at 135th position behind other South Asian countries like Sri Lanka (73rd rank) (Anon., 2014).

As we have seen so far, social inequality and exclusion is a vital part in the process of understanding poverty. The state of a few sections of society has a long drawn relation to the social norms that have been imposed upon them centuries ago. Other areas such as education, employment and healthcare are also constituent reasons of a wider definition of poverty.

Given that the social exclusion and poverty are intertwined, economies need to advance feasible policies that will break the vicious cycles of poverty. India needs to introduce and implement sound policies in order to ensure that individuals have access to good income that will otherwise translate into improved standards of