CBSE Class 9 Social Science Poverty As A Challenge

MCQ Questions for NCERT Class 9 Social Science Poverty As A Challenge 

Question: Who do not come under the category of Urban Poor?
(A) Landlords
(B) Shopkeepers
(C) Farmers
(D) Technicians

Answer: B

Question: Who advocated that India would be truly Independent only when the Poorest of its people become free of Human suffering?
(A) Mahatma Gandhi
(B) Rajeev Gandhi
(C) Indira Gandhi
(D) B.R. Ambedkar

Answer: A

Question: Which of these States has Maximum Poverty?
(A) Punjab
(B) Haryana
(C) Bihar
(D) Himachal Pradesh

Answer: C

Question: Which part of the World shows an increased trend in Poverty?
(A) African region
(B) Sub-Saharan Africa
(C) Asian region
(D) Both (B) & (C)

Answer: D

Question: Give the full form of REGP.
(A) Rural Employment Generation Programme
(B) Rural Employed Generation Programme.
(C) Rural Employment Generating Programme.
(D) Rural Engaged Generation Programme.

Answer: A

Question: When was the Prime Minister Rozgar Yojana started? 
(A) In 1991
(B) In 1990
(C) In 1993
(D) In 1995

Answer: C

Question: Which Country of South-East Asia made rapid economic growth? 
(A) India
(B) China
(C) Nepal
(D) Pakistan

Answer: B  

Assertion and Reason Based MCQs

Directions : In the following questions, a statement of Assertion (A) is followed by a statement of Reason (R). Mark the correct choice as :
(A) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(B) Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(C) (A) is true, but (R) is false.
(D) (A) is false, but (R) is true. 

Question: Assertion (A) : Social scientists look at Poverty through variety of Indicators.
Reason (R): Poverty has many facets. 

Answer: A

Question: Assertion (A) : Poverty means Hunger and lack of shelter.
Reason (R) : Poverty is living with a sense of hopelessness. 

Answer: B

Question: Assertion (A) : People in Urban areas do more physical work.
Reason (R): Calorie requirement per person is more in Rural areas than Urban areas. 

Answer: D

Question: Assertion (A) : Caste system is prevalent in Indian society.
Reason (R): Social exclusion reduces Poverty.

Answer: C

Question: Assertion (A) : Mahatma Gandhi always insisted that India would be truly Independent only when the Poorest of its people become free of Human suffering.
Reason (R) : One of the biggest challenges of Independent India has been to bring millions of its people out of abject Poverty. 

Answer: A

Question: Assertion (A) : A common method used to measure Poverty is based on Literacy.
Reason (R): The Poverty Line in India, a minimum level of food requirement, clothing, Footwear, fuel and light, Educational and medical requirement,etc.

Answer: D 

Short Answer Type Questions 

Question: Explain the two methods to estimate Poverty line.
Answer: The two methods used to estimate Poverty Line are :
(i) Income method. In this method, the Poverty Line is estimated with the help of Minimum Income Required. In the year 2011-12, the Poverty Line for a Person was fixed at ` 816 per month for the Rural areas and ` 1,000 per month for the Urban areas. The higher amount for Urban areas has been fixed because of high prices of essential products in Urban areas.
(ii) Consumption method. In this method, the Average Calorie Requirement of a person is multiplied to the Current prices. The accepted Average Calorie Requirement in India is 2,400 calories per person per day in Rural areas and 2,100 calories per Person per day in Urban Areas.

Question: Explain the causes of Poverty. 
OR
What are the main causes of Poverty in India?
Answer: Main causes of Poverty in India are :
(i) Huge Income inequalities make it difficult for the Government Policies to implement properly for Poverty Elimination. Therefore, Income Inequality is a major cause of Poverty in India.
(ii) Exploitation of Traditional Indian Handicrafts and Textile Industries by British Colonial Administration is another major cause of Poverty.
(iii) In order to fulfil social obligations and observe Religious ceremonies, the Poor spend a lot of Money. Poor people borrow money for different reasons and become the Victims of Indebtedness.

Question: Write any three effects of economic growth on the People of India. 
Answer: (i) Over a period of 30 years lasting up to the early 1980s, there was little Per Capita Income Growth and not much Reduction in Poverty.
(ii) Official Poverty estimates which were about 45 per cent in the early 1950s remained the same even in the early eighties.
(iii) Since the 1980s, India’s economic growth has been one of the Fastest in the World.
(iv) The growth rates jumped from the average of about 3.5 per cent a year in the 1970s to about 6 per cent during the 1980s and 1990s.
(v) The higher growth rates have helped significantly in the Reduction of Poverty. 

Question: Explain the Principal measures taken in Punjab,Kerala and Andhra Pradesh to reduce Poverty.
Answer: (i) The Principal measures taken in Punjab to reduce Poverty is increasing the Agricultural Growth Rates.
(ii) Kerala focussed more on Human Resource Development to reduce Poverty.
(iii) Andhra Pradesh focussed on Public Distribution of food grains to reduce Poverty.

Question: How were the Policies of Colonial Government responsible for Poverty in India?
Answer: Policies of Colonial Government are one of the historical reasons of Poverty after and at the time of British Colonial Administration. The Policies
of the Colonial Government ruined Traditional Handicrafts and discouraged Development of Industries like Textiles. The low rate of growth persisted until the 1980s. This resulted in less Job Opportunities and low growth rate of Incomes.
This was accompanied by a high growth rate of population. The two combined to make the growth rate of per capita Income very low. The failure at both the fronts – promotion of economic growth and population control – perpetuated the cycle of Poverty.

Question: List any three objectives of Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana.
Answer: (i) It was started in 1999.
(ii) The Programme aims at bringing the assisted poor families above the Poverty Line.
(iii) It helps the Rural people to Organize themselves into Self-help groups through a mix of Bank Credit and Government Subsidy.

Question: Describe Current Government Strategy of Poverty Alleviation. 
Answer:To remove Poverty Government has adopted two approaches :
(i) Indirect approach: This covers achieving high economic growth rate, promotion of Small Scale Industries, Promotion of Agriculture. This approach is also referred to as trickle down effect. It was assumed that the Development of Industry and Agriculture would create Employment Opportunities and Income, which would lead to rapid Economic Development.
(ii) Direct approach: Under Direct approach Government has launched various Poverty alleviation programmes and food schemes to target the poor directly.

Question: Write a short note on Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana. 
Answer: (i) PMGY was introduced in 2000.
(ii) Its objective is to focus on village level Development in five critical areas, that is, Primary Health, Primary Education, Rural Shelter, Drinking Water
and Roads. As a result of this, the Quality of Life of Rural people will improve. 

Question: Give one positive and one negative side of Poverty conditions in India and mention the major Weaknesses of Poverty Alleviation Programmes.
Answer: Positive aspect : India’s economic growth is one of the Fastest in the World which helps in Reducing Poverty.
Negative aspect : Large number of poor live in villages and are dependent upon Agriculture where growth is much below expectation.
Weakness of Poverty alleviation programme :Lack of proper Implementation and Right targeting with lots of overlapping schemes.

Question: Name the two plans on which the current Anti-poverty Strategy of the Government is based.
Answer: (i) Promotion of economic growth in the Country.
(ii) Targeted Anti-poverty programmes.
(for specific groups of people)

Question: ‘One historical reason is the low level of economic Development under the British Colonial Administration.’ Explain.
Answer: (i) The Policies of the Colonial Government ruined Traditional Handicrafts and discouraged development of Industries like Textiles.
(ii) The low rate of growth persisted until the 1980s. This resulted in less job Opportunities and low growth rate of Incomes.
(iii) This was accompanied by a high growth rate of population. The two combined to make the growth rate of per capita Income very low. The failure at both the fronts: promotion of economic growth and population control perpetuated the Cycle of Poverty.

Question: What are the major objectives of the Prime Minister Rozgar Yojana?
Answer: (i) The Yojana was launched in 1993.
(ii) The aim of the Programme is to create self-Employment Opportunities for educated unemployed youth in Rural areas and small towns.
(iii) Under this unemployed are helped in setting up small Businesses and Industries.

Long Answer Type Questions.

Question: Describe the Global Poverty Trends.
Answer: (i) The proportion of people living in extreme Poverty has fallen from 25 percent in the year 1990 to 21 percent in the year 2001.
(ii) Poverty has declined substantially in China and South East Asian countries as a result of rapid economic growth.
(iii) The number of poor has fallen from 606 million in 1981 to 212 million in 2001.
(iv) However, in some countries of South Asia (India,Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan), the fall has been marginal.
(v) In Sub-Saharan Africa, Poverty actually rose from 41 percent in 1981 to 46 percent in 2001.

Question: Describe the major reasons of Poverty in India. 
OR
Discuss the major reasons for Poverty in India.
Answer: The major reasons for Poverty in India can be grouped as follows :
(i) Inequalities in Income distribution : Huge Income inequalities make it difficult for the Government Policies to implement properly for Poverty Elimination.
(ii) British Colonial Administration : Exploitation of Traditional Indian Handicrafts and Textile Industries by British Colonial Administration.
The Policies of the Colonial Government ruined Traditional Handicrafts and discouraged Development of Industries like Textiles.
(iii) Population explosion : The low rate of growth of Industries persisted until the 1980s. This resulted in less job Opportunities and low growth rate of Incomes. This was accompanied by a high growth rate of population.
(iv) Slow growth in Agriculture and Industry : With the spread of irrigation and the Green Revolution, many job Opportunities were created
in the agriculture sector. But the effects were very limited in India.
(v) Extravagance and Indebtedness : In order to fulfil Social Obligations and observe Religious Ceremonies, the poor spend a lot of money. Poor people borrow money for different reasons and become the Victims of Indebtedness.

Question: Describe Current Government Strategy of Poverty Alleviation. 
OR
Explain any five Anti-poverty measures taken by the Government of India. 
OR
Describe in brief the important Poverty Alleviation Programmes undertaken by the Government of India.
Answer: The current Anti-poverty Strategy of the Government is based broadly on two planks :
(i) Promotion of economic growth.
(ii) Targeted Anti-poverty Programmes.
Important anti-Poverty programmes which are in operation in Rural and Urban areas are :
(i) Prime Minister Rojgar Yojana (PMRY) : PMRY, was launched on 2nd October, 1993. The aim of this programme is to create self-Employment Opportunities for educated youth in Rural areas and small towns. They are helped in setting up Small Businesses and Industries.
(ii) Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) : SGSY was launched on 1st April, 1999. It aims at promoting enterprises at the village level. It helps the Rural people to organise themselves into self-help groups. The objective of SGSY is to bring the existing poor families above the Poverty Line by providing them Income generating assets through Bank Credit and Government Subsidy.
(iii) Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY) : PMGY was introduced in 2000. Its objective is to focus on Village Level Development in five critical areas, that is, Primary Health, Primary Education, Rural Shelter, Rural Drinking Water and Rural Roads. As a result of this, the Quality of Life of Rural People will improve.
(iv) National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) : NREGA was passed in August 2005. The Act provides for 100 days assured Employment to every Rural Household in 200 Districts. Later, the Scheme will be extended to 600 Districts.
(v) National Food for Work Programme (NFWP) : This was launched in 2004 in 150 most Backward Districts of the Country. The Programme is open to all Rural Poor who are in need of Wage Employment and desire to do manual unskilled work. Once the NREGA is in force, the NWFP will be subsumed within this Programme.

Question: Give the main features of REGP. 
Answer: The Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (REGP), is implemented through the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), to help Eligible Entrepreneurs to set up Village Industry Units and thus create Employment Opportunities in villages including small towns with population up to 20,000.
Under this Programme, Entrepreneurs can establish Village Industries by availing of marginal money assistance from KVIC and Loans from Public sector Scheduled Commercial Banks, Selected Regional Cooperative Banks, etc., for projects with a maximum costs of ` 25 lakh.

Case Study Questions Poverty As A Challenge Class 9 Social Science 

Read the following text and answer the following questions on the basis of the same:
In our daily Life, we come across many people who we think are poor. They could be Landless Labourers in villages or people living in overcrowded Jhuggis in cities. They could be Daily Wage Workers at construction sites or Child Workers in Dhabas. They could also be Beggars with Children in tatters. We see Poverty all around us. In fact, every fourth person in India is poor. This means, roughly 270 million (or 27 crore) people in India live in Poverty in 2011-12. This also means that India has the Largest Single Concentration of the Poor in the World. Since Poverty has many facets, Social Scientists look at it through a variety of Indicators.
Usually the Indicators used relate to the levels of Income and Consumption. A Person is considered poor if his or her Income or Consumption level falls below a given “Minimum Level” necessary to fulfil basic needs. What is necessary to satisfy basic needs is different at different times and in different countries. Therefore, Poverty Line may vary with time and place. Each Country uses an imaginary Line that is considered appropriate for its existing level of Development and its accepted minimum social norms. The proportion of people below  Poverty Line is also not same for all social groups and economic categories in India. In poor families all suffer, but some suffer more than others. Women,elderly people and female infants are systematically
denied equal access to Resources available to the Family. Therefore Women, Children (especially the Girl child) and old people are Poorest of the Poor.

Question: Poverty is looked through other Social indicators like :
(A) Lack of job Opportunities
(B) Lack of access to Safe Drinking Water,Sanitation.
(C) Both (A) and (B)
(D) None of the above

Answer: C

Question: What does Poverty means?
(A) Poverty means Hunger and lack of shelter.
(B) Poverty means where sick people cannot afford treatment.
(C) Poverty means lack of clean water and sanitation facilities.
(D) All of the above.

Answer: D

Question: Who among the following in poor families suffer more than others?
(A) Women
(B) Female infants
(C) Elderly people
(D) All of the above

Answer: D

Question: In economic groups, the most vulnerable groups is :
(A) The Rural Agricultural Labour Household
(B) Scheduled caste Household
(C) Scheduled tribe Household
(D) None of the above

Answer: A

Read the following text and answer the following
questions on the basis of the same :
Poverty in India also has another aspect or dimension. The proportion of poor people is not the same in every State. States like Madhya
Pradesh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa had above all India Poverty level. Bihar and Orissa continue to be the two Poorest States with Poverty ratios. There has been a substantial reduction in Global Poverty. Poverty declined substantially in China and Southeast Asian countries as a result of rapid economic growth and massive investments in Human Resource Development. There were a number of causes for the widespread Poverty in India. One historical reason is the low level of economic Development under the British Colonial Administration. The Policies of the Colonial Government ruined Traditional Handicrafts and discouraged Development of Industries like Textiles. Removal of Poverty has been one of the major objectives of Indian Developmental Strategy.
In these circumstances, there is a clear need for its existing level of Development and its accepted minimum social norms. The proportion of people below Poverty Line is also not same for all social groups and economic categories in India. In poor families all suffer, but some suffer more than others.
Women, elderly people and Female infants are systematically denied equal access to Resources available to the Family. Therefore women, children (especially the Girl child) and Old people are Poorest of the Poor.

Question: The aim of which of the following programme is to create self-Employment Opportunities for educated unemployed youth in Rural areas and small towns:
(A) NREGA
(B) PMRY
(C) REGP
(D) None of the above

Answer: B

Question: In which year Swarnajayanti Gram SwarozgarYojana (SGSY) was launched? 
(A) 1999
(B) 2000
(C) 2004
(D) 1995

Answer: A

Question: What was ruined by the Policies of the Colonial Government?
(A) Traditional handicrafts
(B) Textiles industries
(C) Both (A) and (B)
(D) None of the above

Answer: C

Question: Which of the following States have traditionally succeeded in reducing Poverty with the help of high agricultural growth rates?
(A) Punjab
(B) Haryana
(C) West Bengal
(D) Both (A) & (B)

Answer: D