Poverty versus population

Rashpal Malhotra
Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development

POVERTY and population can be described as two sides of the same coin. Although there are many other causes which shall be listed below, the challenges differ from country to country, community to community and place to place. The United Nations has made tireless efforts in eradicating poverty, yet nearly one billion people live in extreme poverty and more than 800 million endure hunger and malnutrition. The United Nations has set 2030 as its target to eradicate poverty. The problem of poverty has engaged the attention of individual scholars, institutions, governments and, above all, state and society in tackling it in their sphere of activity. This is one such complex human problem which has vast literature generated through surveys and studies and related activities and should have induced the desired speed in arresting this problem. But one finds a discernible gap between powerful rhetoric and equally important pronouncements in its accomplishment. 

The purpose of this presentation is to share with the stakeholders the outcome and impact of the following surveys, studies, publications, lectures, seminars and conferences organised by the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID) from the grassroot to the state, national and international level focusing on the eradication of poverty linked with sustainable development: 

Socio-Economic Status (Inter-Religion and Inter-Caste Analysis)

This was a field-based study carried out in the rural area forming a part of Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh, India. It was emphasised that a sincere attempt may be made to relieve poverty and alleviate human conditions of living in marginalised villages so as to improve the status of the health of the masses. 

The Eighth Five Year Plan emphasised that the galloping growth of the country's population not only nullified economic progress, but also accentuated other problems such as illiteracy, housing shortage, environmental degradation, pollution, food shortage, malnutrition, poor health, unemployment and poverty. Socio-economic characteristics influence the reproductive and child health status of a community, society and also the state. An analysis of the socio-economic status of different castes and religious groups is, therefore, imperative because these locations influence the health status and demographic behaviour of the population. 

The other factor is the education status being a source of information about every aspect of life. This is one of the basic indicators of socio-economic development. Educational inequality in India is a far most serious problem than inequality. A hundred years ago, Swami Vivekanand declaimed: "The chief cause of India's ruin has been the monopolising of the whole education and the intelligentsia of the land… among a handful of men." Education is, therefore, a vital means to achieving the goal of development. Education, in general, and of women, in particular, influences the size of the family and, ultimately, the eradication of poverty. 

(Statement submitted by the Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development, and circulated by the Secretary-General in accordance with paragraphs 36 and 37 of UN Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31)