Question

In 2011-12, about ______ of the total population were living below the poverty line.

Options

• 29.18%

• 26%

• 22%

• 37.2%

Answer 1

In 2011-12, about 22% of the total population were living below the poverty line.

Explanation:

The poverty line for rural areas was defined as ₹ 816 per capita per month and ₹ 1000 for urban areas. The decline to 22% in 2011-12 indicates that approximately 269.8 million people were below the poverty line, with rural poverty at 25.7% and urban poverty at 13.7%. The highest incidence of poverty was found in states like Bihar and Odisha, while states such as Kerala and Punjab have lower poverty ratios due to factors like human resource development and agricultural growth.