Prof. Amartya Sen’s Views on Poverty

Prof. Amartya Sen, an Indian economist and Nobel laureate, transformed the study of poverty. He proved that poverty is not just a lack of money, but the absence of capabilities and real freedoms.

According to Prof. Amartya Sen, “Poverty is not just a lack of money, it is not having the capability to realise one’s full potential as a human being.” 'Capabilities' refer to economic, social and political freedom. A lack of substantive freedom, such as the freedom to satisfy hunger, access to nutrition, healthcare, and educational facilities, as well as the denial of political and civil liberties, leads to poverty.

• Food existed, but millions starved. The main cause was that the poor could not afford or access food due to wage losses and high prices.
• Art and photographs from the period depict the severity and impact of famine on ordinary people.

• Sen’s theory focuses on the lack of “entitlement” and real freedoms, not just total resources.
• Policy must ensure both sufficient supply and access—via jobs, income, public health, and education.
• Poverty affects vulnerable groups more severely (rural labourers, Scheduled Castes/Tribes).