Correct Answer: (b)

According to NCERT Class 9 Economics, poverty is a situation in which a person cannot meet basic needs like food, clothing, shelter, education and health care. It is not about luxury goods, but about minimum requirements for a decent life. Therefore, option (b) is correct.

Correct Answer: (b)

The chapter explains that poverty is multi-dimensional because it involves several types of deprivations at the same time – inadequate food, low level of education, poor health, bad housing and lack of basic services. So, option (b) correctly captures this idea.

Correct Answer: (d)

Social indicators of poverty include illiteracy, malnutrition, poor health, lack of sanitation and absence of safe drinking water. Ownership of a large factory is not a sign of poverty; it usually indicates wealth. Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.

Correct Answer: (b)

Poverty is an injustice because it denies people their basic needs and the right to live with dignity. Poor people struggle for food, shelter, education and health, which are basic human rights. Therefore option (b) expresses the correct reason.

Correct Answer: (b)

The NCERT textbook uses the example of a poor rural family that usually works as landless agricultural labourers with low and seasonal wages, debt and poor living conditions. This is captured by option (b).

Correct Answer: (b)

The urban poor in the NCERT case study include rickshaw pullers, vendors, domestic workers and casual labourers living in slums. They have no job security and low wages. Hence, option (b) is correct.

Correct Answer: (b)

Both rural and urban poor suffer from several deprivations at the same time – inadequate food, poor housing, illiteracy and lack of healthcare. Therefore, option (b) is correct.

Correct Answer: (a)

Rural poor are usually engaged in agriculture and related activities, while urban poor mostly work in informal non-farm jobs like vending or construction. So, option (a) expresses the correct difference.

Correct Answer: (b)

The poverty line is an imaginary line that represents the minimum income or consumption needed to meet basic needs. People below this line are counted as poor. Thus, option (b) is correct.

Correct Answer: (a)

The NCERT book explains that earlier the poverty line was based mainly on the minimum calorie requirement for food (2400 calories in rural areas and 2100 in urban areas). Hence, option (a) is right.

Correct Answer: (b)

The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) conducts large-scale sample surveys on consumption, which are used by the government to estimate poverty. Therefore, option (b) is correct.

Correct Answer: (b)

The head count ratio is the proportion (percentage) of people in a country who live below the poverty line. It is used to measure the extent of poverty. So, option (b) is correct.

Correct Answer: (b)

Rural and urban areas have different prices and consumption patterns. Urban residents spend more on housing, transport and services. Therefore, poverty lines are set differently, as stated in option (b).

Correct Answer: (b)

NCERT notes that the percentage of people below the poverty line has generally declined since independence, especially after the 1970s, though the challenge still remains. So option (b) is correct.

Correct Answer: (b)

The chapter clearly states that Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are among the most vulnerable groups to poverty due to historical discrimination and lack of resources. Hence, option (b) is correct.

Correct Answer: (b)

Casual labourers and landless agricultural labourers have no job security, low wages and no social security. This makes them highly vulnerable to poverty. So, option (b) is the correct answer.

Correct Answer: (b)

NCERT highlights that within poor families, women, children and the elderly are the most vulnerable and deprived members. Therefore option (b) is correct.

Correct Answer: (b)

Social exclusion refers to systematically keeping certain groups (like some castes) out of participation in social, economic and political life. This restricts their opportunities and leads to poverty. So option (b) is correct.

Correct Answer: (b)

Children in poor families are often undernourished, frequently ill and may have to drop out of school. This reduces their chances of getting good jobs later, so poverty continues into adulthood. Therefore, option (b) is correct.

Correct Answer: (a)

Interstate disparities refer to differences in the percentage of people below the poverty line in different states of India. So, option (a) is correct.

Correct Answer: (a)

States that have experienced higher economic growth and invested in education, health and infrastructure have reduced poverty faster. Hence, option (a) is correct.

Correct Answer: (b)

States with high poverty usually have low economic growth, poor infrastructure and weak education and health services. So, option (b) is the correct choice.

Correct Answer: (b)

The chapter clearly states that poverty is a global challenge, particularly severe in many developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America. Hence, option (b) is correct.

Correct Answer: (a)

An international poverty line is a common minimum income/consumption level used by organisations like the World Bank to compare how many people are poor in different countries. So option (a) is correct.

Correct Answer: (a)

The chapter explains that colonial rule destroyed traditional industries, heavily taxed farmers and drained wealth from India, leading to low development and widespread poverty. So, option (a) is correct.

Correct Answer: (b)

Rapid population growth increases the number of people sharing limited resources and jobs, thus reducing per capita income and making it harder to provide basic needs. Therefore, option (b) is correct.

Correct Answer: (b)

When a few people own most of the land, large numbers of families remain landless or have very small holdings. Their income stays low and uncertain, keeping them in poverty. So option (b) is the correct choice.

Correct Answer: (b)

The government follows a two-pronged strategy: promoting economic growth and running targeted programmes like employment schemes and PDS to directly help the poor. So option (b) is correct.

Correct Answer: (b)

The Public Distribution System (PDS) provides essential food grains at subsidised rates through fair price shops, ensuring food security for poor families and leaving more of their income for other needs. Hence, option (b) is correct.

Correct Answer: (a)

Even though the poverty ratio has declined, the absolute number of poor remains large, and many families just above the poverty line can fall back into poverty due to shocks like illness or job loss. Therefore, option (a) correctly states why poverty is still a challenge.