Growth Driven Poverty in India:Some Observations

In India, poverty appears to be growth driven. Over six decades of planning, there has been reduction in the relative poverty but in absolute terms, the poverty ratio has increased or kept constant. The focus of planning has been on achieving growth trajectory rather than striking the milieu of poverty of masses. In this growth propelling mechanism, the richer class stood to gain but the poorer class is at a losing end. This iniquitous distribution of income emanate from low wages paid to the working class which is reinforced by the larger number of people engaged in agriculture (nearly 60%). The large percentage of rural population is either agricultural labor or very small or marginal farmers. The unfair distribution of productive assets (both agriculture farm lands and non-agriculture productive assets in villages as well as in urban area) has proved to be an embryo of this gigantic poverty in India.