Economy
Poverty, Unemployment and Inclusive Growth
Poverty, Unemployment and Inclusive Growth — Quick Revision
One-page CGPSC quick revision for Poverty, Unemployment and Inclusive Growth: poverty lines, MPI, PLFS, MGNREGA to VB-G RAM G, NRLM and inclusion schemes.
Poverty measurement, unemployment, anti-poverty programmes and inclusive growth on one page. For explanations, go back to the chapter.
How to use this sheet
Scan it top to bottom in the week before Prelims. Bold entries are the facts examiners return to most often.
Poverty Lines and Estimates
| Body (year) | Key fact |
|---|---|
| Dadabhai Naoroji | Poverty and Un-British Rule in India (1901); first poverty line idea (1867–68 prices) |
| Working Group (1962) | ₹20 rural / ₹25 urban per capita per month |
| Dandekar–Rath (1971) | NSS data; 2,250 calories |
| Alagh Task Force (1979) | 2,400 rural / 2,100 urban calories |
| Lakdawala (1993) | State-specific lines; CPI-AL rural, CPI-IW urban |
| Tendulkar (2009) | Away from calories; health and education in basket; 2004–05 = 37.2% |
| Tendulkar, 2011–12 | 21.9%; ₹816 rural / ₹1,000 urban per month; about 27 crore poor |
| Rangarajan (2014), 2011–12 | 29.5%; ₹972 rural / ₹1,407 urban; about 36.3 crore; not adopted |
| Chhattisgarh, 2011–12 | 39.93%, highest among states (then Jharkhand, Manipur, Arunachal, Bihar) |
Consumption, Inequality and MPI
| Item | Key fact |
|---|---|
| HCES 2023–24 | MPCE ₹4,122 rural, ₹6,996 urban; urban–rural gap 70% |
| Gini (consumption) | Rural 0.266 → 0.237; urban 0.314 → 0.284 (2022–23 → 2023–24) |
| Chhattisgarh MPCE 2023–24 | ₹2,739 rural, ₹4,927 urban: lowest among major states |
| Global MPI | OPHI + UNDP, 2010; 3 dimensions, 10 indicators; poor if deprived in 1/3; MPI = H × A |
| National MPI | NITI Aayog; 12 indicators (+ maternal health, bank account); NFHS data |
| MPI progress | 24.85% → 14.96% (2015–16 to 2019–21), 13.5 crore exited; 29.17% → 11.28% (2013–14 to 2022–23, projected), 24.82 crore |
| Chhattisgarh MPI | 29.90% → 16.37% (2015–16 to 2019–21) |
| World Bank | $3.00 a day (2021 PPP), June 2025; India 27.1% → 5.3% (2011–12 to 2022–23) |
| Gini range | 0 = perfect equality, 1 = perfect inequality; from the Lorenz curve |
Unemployment
| Item | Key fact |
|---|---|
| LFPR | (Employed + unemployed) ÷ population |
| WPR | Employed ÷ population |
| UR | Unemployed ÷ labour force |
| Disguised | Marginal productivity zero; agriculture |
| Seasonal | Idle in off-season |
| Natural rate | Frictional + structural |
| UPS / UPSS | 365 days, majority time / + subsidiary work of 30+ days |
| CWS | 7 days; employed if 1 hour on any day |
| CDS | Daily, half-day units; captures underemployment; highest rate |
| PLFS | NSO, April 2017; 2017–18 UR 6.1%; 2023–24 UR 3.2% |
| PLFS revamp (2025) | Monthly (CWS); rural + urban quarterly; calendar-year annual |
| PLFS 2025 | LFPR 59.3% (M 79.1, F 40.0), WPR 57.4%, UR 3.1% |
Programmes
| Programme | Key fact |
|---|---|
| CDP | 1952 |
| IRDP | 1978–79; nationwide 2 Oct 1980 |
| JRY | 1989 = NREP (1980) + RLEGP (1983) |
| SGSY | 1 April 1999: IRDP, TRYSEM, DWCRA, SITRA, GKY, MWS |
| SGRY | 2001 = EAS + JGSY |
| NREGA | 2005; in force 2 Feb 2006 (200 districts); all districts 1 April 2008; renamed MGNREGA 2 Oct 2009 |
| MGNREGA features | 100 days per household; allowance after 15 days; 1/3 women; 60:40 wage–material; no contractors; Gram Sabha social audit |
| VB-G RAM G Act 2025 | Assent 21 Dec 2025; in force 1 July 2026; 125 days; 60-day farm pause; 60:40 (90:10 NE/Himalayan; 100% UTs without legislature); normative allocation; Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans |
| DAY-NRLM | June 2011 (Aajeevika); SHGs; CG = Bihan |
| Lakhpati Didi | ₹1 lakh+ a year; 3 crore target reported met; new target 6 crore by 2029–30 |
| PMEGP | 2008; PMRY + REGP; KVIC |
| MUDRA | 8 April 2015; Shishu, Kishore, Tarun, Tarun Plus (up to ₹20 lakh) |
| Stand-Up India | 5 April 2016; ₹10 lakh–₹1 crore; SC/ST and women; greenfield |
| PM Vishwakarma | 17 Sept 2023; 18 trades |
| PMAY-G | 2016 (IAY 1985); ₹1.20 lakh plains / ₹1.30 lakh hilly-IAP |
| PM-VBRY | Approved 1 July 2025; ₹99,446 crore; jobs 1 Aug 2025 to 31 Jul 2027 |
Inclusive Growth
| Item | Key fact |
|---|---|
| 11th Plan | “Towards Faster and More Inclusive Growth” |
| 12th Plan | “Faster, More Inclusive and Sustainable Growth” |
| PMJDY | 28 Aug 2014; zero balance, RuPay, overdraft ₹10,000; 50 crore accounts (Aug 2023) |
| JAM | Economic Survey 2014–15 |
| PMJJBY / PMSBY | ₹436 life (18–50) / ₹20 accident (18–70); ₹2 lakh each; 9 May 2015 |
| APY | ₹1,000–5,000 pension; join 18–40; PFRDA |
| NFSA 2013 | 75% rural / 50% urban; 5 kg per person; AAY 35 kg per household; eldest woman head |
| PMGKAY | Free NFSA grain since 1 Jan 2023; extended five years from 1 Jan 2024 |
| CG Food Security Act | 21 Dec 2012, before NFSA |
| PM-JAY | 23 Sept 2018; ₹5 lakh per family per year; all 70+ from 2024 |
| Aspirational Districts | Jan 2018; 112; convergence, collaboration, competition |
| PM-JANMAN | 15 Nov 2023; PVTGs |
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Alagh: calories 2,400/2,100 | vs | Tendulkar: no calorie anchor |
| Tendulkar 21.9% | vs | Rangarajan 29.5% (same year, 2011–12) |
| Global MPI: 10 indicators | vs | National MPI: 12 indicators |
| UR ÷ labour force | vs | WPR ÷ population |
| Disguised: hidden, MP zero | vs | Seasonal: open, off-season |
| MGNREGA: 100 days; Centre pays all unskilled wages | vs | VB-G RAM G: 125 days; 60:40 |
| SGSY → NRLM (self-employment) | vs | SGRY + NFFWP → NREGA (wage employment) |
| PMJJBY: life, ₹436 | vs | PMSBY: accident, ₹20 |
| 11th Plan: inclusive | vs | 12th Plan: inclusive + sustainable |
Favourite MCQ trap
“The Rangarajan Committee’s poverty line is India’s official line.” Wrong. The government never formally adopted it; the last official estimate (2011–12) used the Tendulkar method. Also watch for Alagh’s calorie norms being attached to Tendulkar.
Second favourite trap
“MGNREGA guarantees 100 days of work to every adult.” Wrong twice over: it was per household, and from 1 July 2026 it has been replaced by the VB-G RAM G Act, which guarantees 125 days per household.
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