Below Poverty Line is an economic benchmark and poverty threshold used by
the government of India to indicate economic disadvantage and to identify
individuals and households in need of government assistance and aid. It is
determined using various parameters which vary from state to state and
within states. The present criteria are based on a survey conducted in 2002.
Going into a survey due for a decade, India's central government is undecided
on criteria to identify families below poverty line.
Internationally, an income of less than $1.90 per day per head of purchasing
power parity is defined as extreme poverty. By this estimate, about 32.7%
percent of Indians are extremely poor. Income-based poverty lines consider the
bare minimum income to provide basic food requirements; it does not account
for other essentials such as health care and education.
Measurement Criteria are different for the rural and
urban areas. In its Tenth Five-Year Plan, the degree of deprivation is
measured with the help of parameters with scores given from 0–4, with 13
parameters. Families with 17 marks or less out of a maximum 52 marks have been
classified as BPL.Poverty line solely depends on the per capita income in
India rather than level of prices. Ninth Plan
In its Ninth Five-Year Plan, BPL for rural areas was set at annual family
income less than Rs. 20,000, less than two hectares land, and no television or
refrigerator. The number of rural BPL families was 650,000 during the 9th
Plan. The survey based on this criterion was again carried out in 2002 and the
total number of 387,000 families were identified. This figure was in force
until September 2006. Tenth Plan
In its Tenth Five-Year Plan survey, BPL for rural areas was based on the degree
of deprivation in respect of 13 parameters, with scores from 0–4:
landholding, type of house, clothing, food security, sanitation, consumer
durables, literacy status, labour force, means of livelihood, status of children,
type of indebtedness, reasons for migrations, etc.
The Planning Commission fixed an upper limit of 326,000 for rural BPL families
on the basis of simple survey. Accordingly families having less than 15
marks out of maximum 52 marks have been classified as BPL and their number works
out to 318,000. The survey was carried out in 2002 and thereafter but could not
be finalised due to a stay issued by the Supreme Court of India. The stay was
vacated in February 2006 and this survey was finalised and adopted in September
2006. This survey formed the basis for benefits under government of India
schemes. The state governments are free to adopt any criteria/survey for
state-level schemes. In its Tenth Five-Year Plan BPL for
urban areas was based on degree of deprivation in respect of seven
parameters: roof, floor, water, sanitation, education level, type of
employment, and status of children in a house. A total of 125,000 upper families
were identified as BPL in urban area in 2004. It has been implemented since
then. Kerala
The Government of Kerala is one of the few state governments which has
formulated its own criteria. In Kerala there are nine parameters.
Families which lack access to four or more parameters are classified as BPL.
The nine parameters for urban areas are: No land or less than five cents of land
No house or dilapidated house No sanitation latrine
Family without colour television No regular employed person in the family
No access to safe drinking water Women-headed household or presence of
widows or divorcee Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes
Mentally retarded or disabled member in the family
The nine parameters for rural areas are the same, but the colour television
criterion is replaced by "family with an illiterate adult member" criterion.
Income based poverty line in India The poverty line was originally fixed in
terms of income/food requirements in 1978. It was stipulated that the calorie
standard for a typical individual in rural areas was 2400 calorie and was
2100 calorie in urban areas. Then the cost of the grains that fulfil this
normative standard was calculated. This cost was the poverty line. In 1978, it
was Rs.61.80 per person per month for rural areas and Rs.71.30 for urban
areas. Since then the Planning Commission calculates the poverty line
every year adjusting for inflation. The poverty line in recent years is as
follows – This income is bare minimum to support
the food requirements and does not provide much for the other basic
essential items like health, education etc. That is why some times the poverty
lines have been described as starvation lines.
Fixing of cut-off marks at 17 The Socio Economic Survey conducted
during 2002 was based on 13 Socio economic indicators indicating the
quality of life and by Score based ranking for all households. Each of the
indicators have 0–4 marks. Thus for 13 indicators, the tentative marks obtained
by the families are from 0–52 for all the Districts. The Supreme Court of
India in Writ Petition No. 196/2001 filed by People's Union for Civil
Liberties, the result of Below Poverty Line census 2002 need not be finalised.
Later in October 2005 the Government of India informed that based on the advice
given by the Additional Solicitor General, it has been decided to finalise
the results of Below Poverty Line Census 2002 without deleting the Below Poverty
Line families already existing in the Below Poverty Line list of Below Poverty
Line Census 1997 and to follow the following procedure for finalisation of
Below Poverty Line list. Preparation of Below Poverty Line list
Approval in Gram Sabha Appeal to Block Development Officer and
Collector. Display of Final List
The Government of India then decided that the Below Poverty Line list for
2002 could be finalised as per original guidelines. The Director of Rural
Development and Panchayat Raj stated that in the Below Poverty Line survey
done in 1991 out of 8,433,000 Rural families 3,446,000 families were
identified as Below Poverty Line families. In the Below Poverty Line
survey done in the year 1999 out of 9,388,000 rural families 2,737,000
families were identified as Below Poverty Line families. He has stated
that if the cut off mark is fixed as 16 the total number of families would be
2,548,000 families against the total families of 8,665,000 which is lesser
than the number of families indicated by Government of India viz. 2,677,000
families. If the cut off mark is fixed as 17 marks, then the total the number
of Below Poverty line families would be 3,051,000. This is marginally above the
number of families indicated by Government of India. i.e. 2,677,000
families. He has therefore recommended that the cut off marks to arrive at the
number of Below Poverty Line families may be fixed at 17 so that no Below
Poverty Line family gets left out of the list and requested orders of Government
in this regard. The Government after detailed examination has decided to
accept the proposal of the Director of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and
accordingly order to fix the cut off mark as 17 for identification of a
family as Below Poverty Line family.8. The Director of Rural Development and
Panchayat Raj is requested to take necessary further action for
finalisation of Below Poverty Line List for rural areas of this state as per the
procedure laid down by Government of India.
Example A Bench Mark Survey conducted in
Maharashtra in 1997–1998 found 91.08% Madia Gond families BPL. Madia Gond are
a people classified as primitive tribe, they live in Bhamragad Taluka, of
Gadchiroli District, of Maharashtra. Criticism of BPL criteria
Social activist Mariam Dhavale, State secretary of the All India Democratic
Women's Association, finds the criteria for determining BPL status puzzling and
one that excludes the deserving. Example of mis-use of BPL Schemes
Corruption in the system allows those ineligible to gain benefits of the BPL
status. A chain of corruption exists between the Government officer to the
government appointed retailer resulting in grain and fuel been diverted to the
black market New survey
Going into a survey due for a decade, India's central government is undecided
on criteria to identify families below poverty line. The survey is carried on
the basis of guidelines and criteria evolved by India's Union Ministry of
Rural Development, by the state government. This survey will be used as
a reference tool for the 12th five-year plan and in the Food Security Bill,
which has been passed by the government. The 10th and the 11th five-year plans
had missed this mandatory survey because of a Supreme Court stay order.
Identification of BPL families is necessary for implementing centrally
sponsored schemes, such as subsidised food and housing targeted at them.
See also Famine in India
Malnutrition in India References