Since the early 1950s, the government of India has initiated, sustained, and refined various policies

and planning schemes to focus on the poor in order for them to break away from the shackles of
poverty.

The Five-year plans introduced in India had elements in them which aimed at Poverty alleviation:

The Fourth Five-Year Plan (1966-1974): aimed to boost national income by 5.5%, create economic
stability, reduce income inequalities, and achieve social justice through equality.

The Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974-1979): was primarily concerned with eradicating poverty (Garibi
Hatao) and bringing larger segments of the poor population above the poverty line. It also
guaranteed a monthly minimum income of Rs. 40 per person, based on 1972-73 prices. When the
Janata Government came to power in 1978, rather than 1979, the plan was terminated.

The Sixth Five-Year Plan (from 1980 to 1985): The sixth five-year plan’s main goal was to eradicate
poverty, with a particular emphasis on economic growth, job creation, technological self-sufficiency,
and improving the living standards of the poor.

The Seventh Five-Year Plan (1985-90): The Seventh Five-Year Plan aimed to improve the poor’s living
standards while significantly lowering poverty rates.

The Eighth Five-Year Plan (1992-97): was designed to increase employment.

The Ninth five-year plan (1997-2002): focused on agriculture, employment, poverty, and
infrastructure.

The Tenth five-year plan (2002-2007): aimed to reduce poverty from 26% to 21% by 2007, as well as
to assist children in completing five years of schooling by 2007.

The Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2007-2012): The eleventh five-year plan aims to reduce poverty by ten
percentage points, create 7 crore new job opportunities, and connect all villages to electricity.

The major poverty alleviation policies and programmes in India since pre and post-independence are
as follows:

1. Public Distribution System (PDS):

The Public Distribution System (PDS) was launched in June 1947 as an Indian food security system
which is concerned with the distribution of subsidized food grains and non-food items at affordable
prices to the poor; and management of emergency situations. The PDS being supplemental in nature
has become an important part of Government’s policy for management of food economy in the
country over the years. PDS has contributed towards upliftment of socio-economic justice by helping
alleviate hunger, malnutrition, anaemia among poorest of the poor, BPL citizens, women and
children. The Revamped PDS was launched in 1992, with a view to strengthen and streamline the
PDS as well as to improve its reach in far-flung, hilly, remote and inaccessible areas where substantial
section of poor live. In 1997, RPDS became TPDS (Targeted PDS) which established Fair Price Shops
for the distribution of food grains at subsidized rates.

2. Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP):

The Integrated Rural Development Program is a combination of the Community Area Development
Programmes, Drought Prone Area Program, Small Farmer Development Agency, and Marginal
Farmers and Agricultural Labourer Agency with an aim to eradicate unemployment, poverty, and
hunger in rural India. It was launched in 1978 and is among the world’s most ambitious programs to
alleviate rural poverty by providing income-generating assets to the poorest of the poor. The major
objective of the scheme was to raise families of identified target group below the poverty line, by
creating sustainable opportunities for self-employment in the rural sector.

3. Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana:

The scheme launched in 1985 is aimed at creating 13 lakh housing units for rural regions, by
giving out loans to people at subsidised rates to make houses and t o offer loans to the general
public at reasonable discounts. The objective of this poverty alleviation programme is to increase the
number of wage job possibilities available to households by offering both annual guaranteed pay
employment and on-demand employment.

4. Jawahar Rozgar Yojna:

This was launched on April 1, 1989 by merging National Rural Employment Program (NREP) and Rural
Landless Employment Guarantee Programme (RLEGP). It was largest National Employment Program
of India at that time with a general objective of providing 90-100 Days Employment per person
particularly in backward districts. People below Poverty Line were main targets. Every village was to
be covered through Panchayati Raj Institutions. The village got aide and support from District Rural
Development Authority. Expenditures were born by central and state in 80:20 ratios.

5. Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme:

The Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS) of 1995 is a scheme that aims to
provide financial assistance and social protection to eligible beneficiaries. It benefits the Indian
senior citizens who are more than 65 years of age or over it and living in poverty. This scheme offered
a minimum amount of ₹200/- on a monthly basis for individuals of 60 and 79 years and rupees 500
to people above 80 years.

6. Annapurna scheme:

Under this scheme, 10 Kgs of food grains is distributed per month free of cost to destitute above the
age of 65 years with no or meagre subsistence. The Government of India fixed the target at 52215,
being 20% of the number of persons who are eligible for National Old Age Pension, but not getting
the pension for some reasons. The scheme is implemented in the State with effect from 2001.
Though the scheme was originally implemented as a Central Sector Scheme, the pattern of central
assistance was changed in 2002-03. Now, the scheme is implemented with additional central
assistance and the level of expenditure reached during the year 2000-01 is treated as the mandatory
commitment of the State Government.

7. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act:

Under this act of 2005, every rural family is given 100 days of guaranteed work each year under this
act. Women would only be eligible for 1/3rd of the planned positions. National Employment
Guarantee funds will also be provided by the Union government under this act. State governments
will also create sales Employment Guarantee funds to carry out the program. A participant in the
program is eligible for a daily employment benefit if they are not offered work within 15 days.
Another aim of MGNREGA is to create durable assets (such as roads, canals, ponds and wells).
Through the process of providing employment on works that address causes of chronic poverty such
as drought, deforestation and soil erosion, the Act seeks to strengthen the natural resource base of
rural livelihood and create durable assets in rural areas. Effectively implemented, MGNREGA has the
potential to transform the geography of poverty.
8. Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY):

This a national mission launched with the aim to offer access to various financial services, including
insurance, remittance, deposit accounts, pension, etc. in an affordable manner. Pradhan Mantri Jan
Dhan Yojana was launched on 28th August 2014 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Financial
inclusion is the equality and availability of opportunities to access financial services, and PM Jan
Dhan Yojana focuses on it. T main features of PMJDY include Rs. 5,000 overdraft facility for Aadhar-
linked accounts and a RuPay debit card with inbuilt Rs. 1 lakh accident insurance cover. In addition,
for accounts opened between 15th August 2014 and 26th January 2015, a Life Insurance cover of
Rupees 30,000 is available to the eligible beneficiaries. One of the salient features of Pradhan Mantri
Jan Dhan Yojana is that after remaining active for 6 months, the account holder will become eligible
for an overdraft of up to Rs 5,000.

9. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY):

The Ujjwala Scheme is a government scheme under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas to
distribute LPG cylinders to women from Below the Poverty Line (BPL). The aim of PM Ujjwala Yojana
is to provide alternate clean fuel to prevent health issues associated with burning unhealthy fuel..
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on May
1st, 2016 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. Under this scheme, 5 Cr LPG connections will be provided to BPL
families with a support of Rs.1600 per connection in the next 3 years. Ensuring women’s
empowerment, especially in rural India, the connections will be issued in the name of women of the
households. Rs. 8000 Cr. has been allocated towards the implementation of the scheme.
Identification of the BPL families will be done through Socio Economic Caste Census Data.

10. Prime Minister Street Vendors Atmnirbhar Nidhi PM SVanidhi:

Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs launched a scheme PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM
SVANidhi) to empower Street Vendors by not only extending loans to them, but also for their holistic
development and economic upliftment. The scheme intends to facilitate collateral free working
capital loans of up to INR10,000/- of one-year tenure, to approximately 50 lakh street vendors, to
help resume their businesses in the urban areas, including surrounding peri-urban/rural areas. The
Scheme is available to beneficiaries from States/UTs which have notified rules and guidelines under
the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. The PM
SVANidhi Scheme aimed to provide impetus to halted economic activities among street vendors – a
specific category of population affected by pandemic restrictions. By increasing the degree of
formalization among street vendors, the Scheme hoped to ensure social and financial opportunities
for them – allowing upward social and economic mobility.

References:

https://www.insightsonindia.com/indian-economy-3/poverty-and-unemployment/poverty/poverty-
alleviation-programmes-since-independence/

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.toppr.com/guides/
economics/poverty/poverty-alleviation-policies-and-programs/&ved=2ahUKEwi7tMq66a7-AhXw-
TgGHY-aATIQFnoECFgQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2IKKd8r4oXZEs9T1sdm_8d

https://www.povertycenter.columbia.edu/policies-and-programs
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.eliteias.in/anti-poverty-
schemes-in-india/&ved=2ahUKEwjaprao6q7-
AhVI32EKHe4KB604FBAWegQIChAB&usg=AOvVaw1Bvq-LiHcQNDVMU33z8r46