ISSN (Print) - 0012-9976 | ISSN (Online) - 2349-8846

Poverty AlleviationSubscribe to Poverty Alleviation

Poverty Alleviation and Pro-poor Growth in Odisha

During the 2000s, Odisha recorded a faster reduction in the poverty ratio than ever before. This paper examines the pro-poorness of growth in Odisha and among its regions during this time. The pro-poor growth index, poverty equivalent growth, growth incidence curve, and poverty decomposition methods have been used to estimate pro-poor growth. The fast decline in inequality with the growth in household monthly per capita expenditure resulted in a faster reduction in poverty in Odisha. All the regions of rural Odisha and the coastal region of urban Odisha recorded a faster decline in poverty during the period of analysis and were more pro-poor during the 2000s. The panel regression result shows that the districts with high per capita income in the tertiary sector witnessed faster poverty reduction, whereas the primary and secondary sector PCI had no significant impact on poverty reduction in Odisha.

Growth and Rural Poverty

Assessment of Rural Poverty: Asia and the Pacific; International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Rome, January 2002; pp 172.

Urban Poverty Alleviation in Bangalore

Empowerment, participation and enabling frameworks are fashionable concepts of the presentday development discourse, especially in relation to poverty alleviation. However, their application is tricky due to problems of definition and in terms of practical implementation. A study of a participatory urban poverty alleviation project in Bangalore depicts the problems in bringing these promising concepts into practice.

Well-Being in the 1990s

The debate about poverty trends in India in the 1990s can be widened to look at a broad range of indicators. The data do not really permit resolution of a key issue, whether poverty decline has slowed or not. Only literacy and fertility decline have unambiguously accelerated. But the record overall is one of continuing modest - if uneven - progress.

Development of UP

Uttar Pradesh has slid rather rapidly down the development ladder in the past half a century. Today the state spends most of its revenues on servicing its huge debt and what is left is expended on supporting the establishment, leaving little for development. UP needs urgently to raise more resources and, more importantly, put the funds to use in employment-generating areas which will help in poverty alleviation.

Micro-Credit and Rural Poverty

This paper reviews empirical evidence on NGO-led micro-credit programmes in several developing countries, and compares them with state-led poverty alleviation schemes in India. The study shows that micro-credit programmes have been able to bring about a marginal improvement in the beneficiaries' income. However, the beneficiaries have not gained much by way of technological improvements, given the emphasis on 'survival skill'. Also, in Bangladesh the practice of repayment of Grameen Bank loans by making fresh loans from moneylenders has resulted in the creation of 'debt cycles'.

State-Adjusted Public Expenditure on Social Sector and Poverty Alleviation Programmes

This paper presents trends in public expenditures on social sector and poverty alleviation programmes from 1990-91. A considerable proportion of these expenditures is undertaken by the states but the central share seems to be increasing over time. This paper analyses trends in state expenditure, expenditure by the central government and central and state adjusted combined expenditures. Overall, expenditure on social sector schemes is increasing in real terms but mainly through increased expenditure of the central government. The state governments seem to be easing out of their constitutional commitment to sustain programmes in the social sectors, which is a matter of concern. Secondly, there are large inter-sectoral reallocations of funds in the poverty alleviation sectors. One major development has been that large funds that were allocated to employment generation have now been diverted to the rural road construction programme. This reallocation may have serious implications for employment generation.

ICTs in Rural Poverty Alleviation

Social structures are crucial in determining who is able to access any technology and use it beneficially. While making new information and communication technologies (ICTs) cheap will make them more accessible to the poor, there will be other factors which determine their impact. The current low penetration of ICTs is a reflection of the digital divide in overcoming which there is no way to bypass a confrontation of low educational levels, which itself is linked to landlessness.

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