Poverty line differs across time and countries.

Question

Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R).

Assertion (A): Poverty line differs across time and countries.

Reason (R): The basic needs of people vary across regions and over time.

Select the correct answer from the code given below:

1. A. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
2. B. (A) is false, but (R) is true
3. C. (A) is true, but (R) is false
4. D. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A) (Correct answer)

Correct Answer

Option D — Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Key Points

• Assertion is true. The poverty line is not a fixed universal figure — it differs across countries and changes over time within the same country.
• Reason is true. What counts as a basic need varies from region to region and rises as a society develops; a minimum acceptable standard in one place or period is not the same in another.
• (R) explains (A) directly: the line moves *because* the basket of basic needs it is built on moves. Hence option (d).

Additional Information

• India's poverty line has historically been anchored to a minimum calorie requirement — about 2,400 calories per person per day in rural areas and 2,100 in urban areas, the urban figure being lower because of less physical labour.
• Key committees on poverty estimation, in order: Dandekar and Rath (1971), Alagh (1979), Lakdawala (1993), Tendulkar (2009) and Rangarajan (2014).
• The World Bank's international extreme-poverty line is defined in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms and has been revised upward repeatedly — itself an illustration of the assertion.
• India now also publishes a Multidimensional Poverty Index through NITI Aayog, measuring deprivation in health, education and standard of living rather than income alone.