“An essential condition to eradicate poverty is to liberate the poor from the process of deprivation.” Substantiate this statement with suitable examples. (UPSC 2016)

An essential condition to eradicate poverty is to free the poor from the vicious cycle of deprivation. Poverty is not only low income; it is also poor health, weak education, insecure shelter and exclusion, which together trap families across generations.

• Capability expansion: As Amartya Sen argues, poverty falls when people gain the capability to live with dignity. Better nutrition, schooling and skills raise productivity and mobility.
• Breaking inter-generational traps: Malnutrition leads to poor learning and low earnings. Schemes like PM-POSHAN and NEP 2020 help children stay healthy and learn better.
• Reducing basic deprivations: PMAY, Jal Jeevan Mission and Ujjwala improve housing, water and clean cooking, saving time, illness and costs.
• Protecting the vulnerable: PM-JANMAN and DBT reduce exclusion among tribal groups and the poor.

India’s fall in multidimensional poverty shows that when deprivation is tackled directly, poverty reduction becomes durable, inclusive and more humane.