Two Typical Cases of Poverty – NCERT Economics Class 9 Chapter 3 Notes & PDF 

Topic covered: Two Typical Cases of Poverty and MCQs Questions: Poverty as a Challenge (All single detail notes are exam-oriented).

We have discussed in-depth and exam-oriented pointers that can be asked in the board exam of class 9th about the “Two Typical Cases of Poverty“ from the NCERT Economics notes for class 9th chapter 3 Poverty as a Challenge.

Download the NCERT Economics for Class 9th Chapter 3 Poverty as a Challenge Notes PDF

Chapter 3: Poverty as a Challenge in Class 9 Economics deals with one of the most pressing social issues in India. The chapter explains how poverty is measured, its causes, and the everyday struggles faced by poor households. Many students often find the terms like “social exclusion” or “vulnerability” tricky, so these notes break them down with examples that are easy to follow. You’ll also get a clear picture of government schemes and policies aimed at reducing poverty. Download the NCERT Economics for Class 9th Chapter 3 Poverty as a Challenge Notes PDF to revise key points quickly and confidently.

Introduction – Poverty as a Challenge

• Poor people can be seen as landless labourers in villages or those living in overcrowded jhuggis in cities.
• NITI Aayog uses the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) to study poverty in India.
• Multidimensional Poverty Ratio (MPR):
  a. Around 55% in 2005–06
  b. Reduced to 25% in 2015–16
  c. Further declined to 15% in 2019–21
• It is expected that India’s multidimensional poverty will soon reach single digit levels.

Two Typical Cases of Poverty

Urban Case

1. Ram Saran’s Occupation and Income:

• Ram Saran, 33 years old, works as a daily-wage labourer in a wheat flour mill near Ranchi, Jharkhand.
• His income: about ₹3,500 a month, and even that is irregular.
• He supports a large family of six: wife and four children (ages between 12 years and 6 months).

2. Extended Dependents:

• Ram Saran also sends money to his old parents living in a village near Ramgarh.
• His father is a landless labourer.
• His brother in Hazaribagh is also dependent on him.

3. Living Conditions:

• Family lives in a one-room rented house in a crowded basti on the outskirts of the city.
• The house is a temporary shack made of bricks and clay tiles.
• Basic needs like clothing and shoes are a struggle:
  a. Each member has only two pairs of hand-me-down clothes.
  b. Shoes are considered a luxury.

4. Other Family Members’ Contribution:

• Wife (Santa Devi): works as a part-time maid, earns about ₹1,500.
• Elder son: works as a helper in a tea shop, earns ₹700.
• 10-year-old daughter: goes to school and takes care of younger siblings.
• The youngest child benefits from the mid-day meal scheme at school (dal-rice).

5. Food and Nutrition:

• Family manages only two meals a day (dal and rice).
• The quantity is often not enough for everyone.
• Malnutrition and food insecurity are clear indicators of poverty.

6. Key Learnings (Exam Focus):

• Urban poverty is marked by irregular employment, low income, overcrowded housing, and lack of basic amenities.
• Family survival often depends on multiple earners, including children.
• Education gets compromised as children are drawn into supporting family income.
• Government schemes like mid-day meal provide some relief but don’t solve the root problem.

Rural Case

1. Lakha Singh:

• Lakha Singh lives in a village near Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
• His family is landless and depends on odd jobs for big farmers.
• Work and income are erratic; sometimes ₹200 per day, often payment in kind (wheat, dal, vegetables).
• Family of six barely manages two meals a day.
• They live in a kuchha hut on the outskirts of the village.
• Women of the family spend time chopping fodder and collecting firewood.
• Lakha’s father died of tuberculosis due to lack of treatment; his mother also suffers from TB.
• There is a primary school in the village; Lakha never went but his children now attend school.
• New clothes are bought only once in a few years.
• Soap and oil are luxuries for the family.

2. Issues Related to Poverty (from Lakha’s case):

• Landlessness – No land ownership, dependence on farm labour.
• Unemployment / Irregular work – Erratic work and income; low wages, sometimes paid in kind.
• Large family size – Six members struggle to survive on meagre income.
• Low literacy levels – Lakha never attended school, though children are beginning education.
• Poor health and nutrition – Two meals a day, TB untreated, malnutrition evident.
• Helplessness – No money for healthcare, no regular income, lack of dignity in life.

3. Broader Dimensions of Poverty:

• Hunger and lack of shelter are core aspects of poverty.
• Parents unable to give nutritious food three times a day.
• Sick people cannot afford treatment.
• Poverty includes lack of clean water and sanitation.
• Absence of regular jobs with decent wages.
• Poor people face ill-treatment everywhere – farms, factories, hospitals, government offices.
• Poverty creates a constant sense of helplessness.

4. Challenge for Independent India:

• One of India’s biggest challenges: lifting millions out of abject poverty.
• Mahatma Gandhi’s vision: India would be truly independent only when the poorest are free from human suffering.

Next & Previous Topics of NCERT/CBSE Economics Class 9 Chapter 3: Poverty as a Challenge

MCQs on NCERT Economics Class 9 Chapter 3 Topic – Two Typical Cases of Poverty

Here are the top exam-oriented MCQ-type questions on “Two Typical Cases of Poverty” that you should prepare for your CBSE or state board exams:

Question 1. Which organisation uses the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) to analyse poverty in India?

a) Planning Commission
b) NITI Aayog
c) Ministry of Rural Development
d) Reserve Bank of India

Answer: b) NITI Aayog

Question 2. What was India’s approximate multidimensional poverty ratio in 2005–06?

a) 15%
b) 25%
c) 55%
d) 75%

Answer: c) 55%

Question 3. The multidimensional poverty ratio in India reduced to 15% during which period?

a) 2005–06
b) 2015–16
c) 2019–21
d) 2022–23

Answer: c) 2019–21

Question 4. According to expectations, India’s multidimensional poverty will soon reach:

a) Zero
b) Double digits
c) Single digit
d) 50%

Answer: c) Single digit

Question 5. Where does Ram Saran work as a daily wage labourer?

a) Sugar mill near Meerut
b) Wheat flour mill near Ranchi
c) Brick kiln in Hazaribagh
d) Cotton factory in Delhi

Answer: b) Wheat flour mill near Ranchi

Question 6. How much does Ram Saran earn in a month when he gets work?

a) ₹2,000
b) ₹3,500
c) ₹1,500
d) ₹700

Answer: b) ₹3,500

Question 7. What type of house does Ram Saran live in?

a) Pucca house with two rooms
b) Government-provided quarter
c) One-room temporary shack made of bricks and clay tiles
d) Wooden hut near the market

Answer: c) One-room temporary shack made of bricks and clay tiles

Question 8. How does Ram Saran’s elder son contribute to the family income?

a) Works as a tea shop helper
b) Works in the flour mill
c) Studies in school and gets scholarship
d) Collects and sells firewood

Answer: a) Works as a tea shop helper

Question 9. Lakha Singh’s family belongs to a village near:

a) Ranchi, Jharkhand
b) Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
c) Patna, Bihar
d) Jaipur, Rajasthan

Answer: b) Meerut, Uttar Pradesh

Question 10. Since Lakha Singh’s family has no land, how do they earn their livelihood?

a) Government jobs
b) Daily-wage work for big farmers
c) Running a small shop
d) Animal husbandry

Answer: b) Daily-wage work for big farmers

Question 11. How much do Lakha Singh’s family members sometimes get for a day’s work?

a) ₹100
b) ₹200
c) ₹500
d) ₹50

Answer: b) ₹200

Question 12. What disease caused the death of Lakha Singh’s father?

a) Malaria
b) Tuberculosis
c) Cancer
d) Typhoid

Answer: b) Tuberculosis

Question 13. Which of the following is considered a luxury for Lakha Singh’s family?

a) Rice and dal
b) Soap and oil
c) Vegetables
d) Schooling

Answer: b) Soap and oil

Question 14. Which of the following is not a dimension of poverty mentioned in the cases?

a) Landlessness
b) Literacy levels
c) Health and nutrition
d) Industrialisation

Answer: d) Industrialisation

Question 15. Poverty means all of the following except:

a) Hunger and lack of shelter
b) Lack of clean water and sanitation
c) Lack of a regular job with minimum wages
d) Access to free healthcare and education

Answer: d) Access to free healthcare and education

Question 16. Which of the following reflects the feeling of poverty-stricken people?

a) Self-reliance
b) Helplessness
c) Prosperity
d) Growth and development

Answer: b) Helplessness

Question 17. Mahatma Gandhi said India would be truly independent only when:

a) Industrialisation is complete
b) Villages become self-sufficient
c) The poorest are free from suffering
d) Farmers own their land

Answer: c) The poorest are free from suffering