Battling poverty in India

One of the biggest issues that a developing country like ours faces is poverty. The failure to secure three meals a day, to afford shelter or get access to education is poverty. Although, it is prevalent in most parts of the world, but due to explosive population in India, it poses a bigger threat to us.

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Even the developed countries struggle to uplift their poorer sections. However, there seems no end to it. In India, the sections which are caught up in the rat race of labour and daily wages, choose daily work over education and thus, fail to secure a future for themselves. The major root cause is the ever growing population of India which is paving way for unemployment and lack of basic facilities for all. Due to lack of education and awareness, the poor population is always caught up in the turmoil of securing their daily bread rather than thinking about the future. Although the government has run various schemes for the citizens to be able to go to school by giving free education, mid-day meals and free stationery, the monstrous poverty still finds a way to delude people from looking at it as a lantern to the better future and chooses to stay in darkness.

More than half of the population is unaware of the existing government schemes and policies for them. They are also reluctant to send their wards to school since they have never been there and occupy them with menial tasks. Many government schemes don’t reach the grassroot level because of rampant corruption. Politicians and officials eat up the funds for infrastructure development and schools, leaving poor citizens suffering in poverty. Though the government of India has been trying to curb poverty for decades through various policies and measures, it is still a significant hurdle for our development. The Indian constitution has guaranteed its citizens the Right to Work and Education-two essential things to eradicate poverty from a grassroots level.

To conclude, I would like to request young readers to rise up to the task of educating the ignorant and poor people around them and making them aware of the facilities that they avail for their own good. In the last 15 years, there has been a steady decline in poverty rates in India and it is expected that by 2050, poverty may be eradicated from the face of Indian map and the world completely. It needs our consistent efforts and dedication at both individual as well as government levels.

Palvi, Class XI, RK International School, Nabahi