GROUP D - Poverty Line

Poverty refers to a state in which an individual is unable to fulfil even the basic necessities of life. The minimum requirements include food, clothing, shelter, education, and health facilities. Poverty is a condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living. Poverty means that the income level from employment is so low that basic human needs can't be met.

Dadabhai Naoroji was the first person to highlight the concept of a poverty line.  The poverty line is a cutoff point on the line of distribution, which usually divides the population of the country as poor and non-poor. People having an income below the poverty line are poor and above the poverty line are non-poor. Poverty Line is the amount of money an individual requires to meet his basic needs. Hence, it is defined as the money value of goods and services required by an individual to provide basic welfare.

Poverty Line is used for the measurement of the extent of poverty in a country. People who are living or have income below the poverty line are known as Poor. However, people who are living or have income above the poverty line are known as Non-poor. Mass poverty is a situation in which a large section of people in the economy is deprived of basic necessities.