Poverty Alleviation and Rural Poor

Since Independence, poverty alleviation has been on the national policy agenda. Consequently, the importance of reduction in poverty and provision of other basic needs has been regularly emphasised in Five Year Plans. Even today, the main objective of the poverty alleviation programmes is to minimise the high incidence of poverty and thus, to improve the economic, social and physical conditions of the rural poor. These schemes are supposed to protect a person in the case of both chronic and persistent nature of poverty.The major poverty alleviation programmes for rural poor in India viz., wage employment programme (JRY) and self employment programme (IRDP) have been evaluated in this book with an aim to bring sharp focus on its impact on employment and income generation of the beneficiary group. Using both field-level primary data and secondary sources, this study has come to the conclusion that the impact of programmes is marginally positive leaving much to achieve. Their effectiveness is quite low and considerably below the official estimates. This book provides a holistic view of the issues related to poverty alleviation and rural poor. With the qualities of ground realities that could be observed in the analysis of the book, it will serve as a sound basis to initiate remedial measures. As such, the policy makers, planners and scholars will find this book of tremendous interest.

Meeta Krishna (b. 1958) obtained Ph.D. degree in1997 from Patna University. At present, she is Senior Research Officer in A.N. Sinha Institute of Social Studies. Her major areas of interests are poverty and rural development. She has published more than two dozen research papers in reputed journals. Besides, she has to her credit an edited book India: Dilemma of Development –Pradhan H. Prasad (Mittal Publications, New Delhi, 2000). The book has evoked wide interests in the academic world and has been acclaimed as one of the most valuable publication in recent years. Currently, she is engaged with another important research study on the impact of development schemes on the socio-economic conditions of the Backward Classes in Bihar.