Poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere | UPSC Mains Essay Preparation PDF Download

Economy

In the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Philadelphia Declaration, 1944, ‘poverty anywhere is a threat to prosperity everywhere’ was declared as the main objective for protecting the rights and the dignity of humans. It was considered to be the main aim of governments worldwide and include it as the aim of its government policy and economic planning. The impact of poverty is far and wide and greatly impacts the prosperity and standard of living of people. “Extreme poverty anywhere is a threat to human security everywhere” was quoted by Kofi Annan, the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Poverty can have multiple definitions. It could be the lack of material possessions, a deficiency of income, or the scarcity of the basic necessary things required for a person to live. In the easiest terms, it is that state of being extremely poor, wherein an individual has no access to the basic amenities of life. It is a state or condition in which a person for society does not possess the necessary financial resources to ensure a minimum standard of living. It has greater implications as people who suffer from poverty are deprived in many different ways, such as lack of nutrition, limited access to education, and various other essential necessities without which a person cannot perform its day to day activities.

Poverty Breeds Social Ills

In economic terms of country, the region for the household is considered to be poor when the per capita income of the individual and purchasing power of such individual or a household is below a certain minimum standard investment on an essential sector like medical and education is low. Politically when a country is poor and does not have the capacity to raise its voice and is dependent on others who are more powerful. Poverty in a country breeds all types of socially unacceptable behaviours like gambling, violence, drug addiction, etc., which are not acceptable in a family or a community and thus degrade society's moral values and social values intolerant in the society. 

Poverty and Environmental Degradation

When it comes to the environment, poverty destroys the living environment of those who suffer from poverty and those who are non-human and are dependent on the same resources and the ecosystem on which those living in poverty depend and survive. The World Bank Organization, whose main goal is to eradicate poverty completely, describes it uniquely. “Poverty is hunger. Poverty is a lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job and fear for the future, living one day at a time.’’
To be considered poor, one’s income should be falling below the minimum income level necessary to provide for a person's basic needs in their daily life. This minimum level, also known as the international poverty line, is set at $1.90 a day. But as the World Bank Organization has so appropriately described, poverty cannot be defined solely by the income level. To quote Nelson Mandela, “Poverty is not an accident. Like slavery, and apartheid, it is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.” He once said, “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life.”

Ways to Reduce Poverty

There are several steps that should be taken in order to reduce the levels of poverty in the world. Most of these steps must be taken by the government. There are multiple charitable organizations to join, or even websites, NGOs that accept donations, which they then carefully spend in helping poor people.

Population control

Population control is to be done as the population in India has been increasing rapidly recent studies reveal a growth rate of the population of 1.8%, which must be lowered so as to combat poverty. An increase in the employment rate should be promoted through various employment schemes, small scale and cottage industry should be incentivized. The main focus of government should be on equitable distribution of income as population control will not combat poverty itself.

Agriculture in Poverty Eradication

The agriculture sector should also strive to remove poverty. The productivity of the labour should be increased. Thus the rapid rate of growth of agricultural production will help in removing urban as well as rural poverty. This can be done by harnessing modern agricultural machines and equipment. Marginal farmers should be given financial assistance to increase their productivity, ensuring timely access to funds that can boost their income and the government's target of doubling farmers’ income.

Evaluating Poverty Alleviation Strategies

Government should take suitable steps to meet the minimum needs of the poor. For example, drinking water and provision of primary health centres and primary education is something which is an incumbent necessity for everyone. Thus, it should be the priority of the government to promote these areas.
The public distribution system should be strengthened to remove poverty where the poor should get food grains at subsidised rates and in ample quantity. To bring changes in production techniques, India should adopt labour-intensive techniques, which should not reduce productivity rather should provide employment avenues to the vast workforce available in the country so the demographic dividend can be fully harnessed.
According to the World Bank, between 2004 and 2011, poverty declined in India from 38.9% to 21.2%. Such positive results were possible because of the government intervention in various sectors through various policies and schemes like MGNREGA, PM Gramin Aawas Yojana, National Skill Development Mission, and various other initiatives for self-help groups. Sustainable development goal 1 aims at ending poverty in all its forms from everywhere, which is the first goal of the 2030 sustainable development agenda, which talks about ensuring social protection, enhancing access to basic services, and building resilience against the impact of natural disasters, which can affect the resources of the people and their livelihood opportunities severely, it is widely accepted that the economic growth must be inclusive especially for the poorest of the poor and the most vulnerable. Thus, it aims to eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere.
Poverty is also a threat to prosperity because it acts like a sponge that sucks up the resources of the country. Again, it might be useful to look at examples from our own country. As long as poverty is allowed to exist, it will necessarily lead to an obstacle for development as well as a drain of the country's productive resources. The problem of poverty thus has to be removed through a combined effort from everyone possible. Increasing and sustaining the growth rate is also crucial as a slow growth rate is the main cause of poverty, thus, while being fast, growth rate must be accelerated and inclusive.