Padmashri Deep Joshi Seminar at IFMR

Removing Poverty: Role of HR & POs Deep Joshi 29 January 2010

Conceptions & Strategies
Classical View of Poverty:
A material or economic condition caused by past economic circumstance
lack of assets & income sources,
lack of access to services, infrastructure,
lack of access to technology, etc
Market Failure Exacerbates it for Some
Solution:
‘ Trickle Down’ with Growth and
Market Correctives & Policy Tweaking to Create a Level Playing Field

Conceptions & Strategies
An alternative Formulation:
Distribution of power in society key driver of poverty
Poverty may persist in a bustling economy, full of opportunity, e.g. USA
Power is a Function of Self-efficacy, Context and Influence – Person, Place & Position
This better describes the poverty scenario in India (and other places)

Person
Historically and Structurally Isolated and/or Excluded Social Groups
They Lack Self-Efficacy – “I can also do it”
Are Stranded Due to Structural Changes in Society, Economy & Polity
For example:
Scheduled Tribes and
Scheduled Castes in India
Native Americans, African Americans, ‘Illegal Aliens” in USA
Women-headed Households in all Societies
Unable to Receive Policies & Market Signals

Place
Determines Assets/Endowments, Institutions and Opportunity
For example,
Poverty Highest in Rain-fed, Undulating, Hilly and Mountainous Regions (UHM Regions)
Poverty Highest in Complex Ecologies – e. g. Drought and Flood-prone Places
Poverty Highest in Places with Weak Institutions

Position
The Political Currency of One’s Community
Inability to Influence Policy, Rules of the Game
Make Claims/Create New Claims, Set Priorities in Allocation of Resources
Control Institutions
For example:
Dalit s, Tribes and Women
Artisans
Lower Echelons in a Feudal set-up
Minorities

What the Data Says
Is it Mumbo-Jumbo or Does the Data Support It?
Tendulkar Committee Findings (November 2009):
Overall BPL 37.2% (437 million)
Urban BPL 25.7% (92 million)
Rural BPL 41.8% (345 million )
Population Data Based on Census 2001 & 16% Decadal Growth
Rate

Geography of Poverty: Place
Poorest 5 States (Orissa, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, MP, Jharkhand):
Rural BPL (all>50%) – 34% of Country’s Rural BPL but 25% Rural Population
Total BPL – 31% but 22% of Country’s Population
Poorest 8 States (Orissa, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, MP, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Tripura, UP)
Rural BPL (all>42%) – 61% of Country’s Rural BPL but 51% Rural Population
Total BPL (all>38%) – 59% but 48% of Country’s Population

Social/Ethnic Composition: Person & Position
Tribes ~ 75% BPL (projected from old ratios)
~ 8.5% Population but 17% BPL
Second Largest BPL among all Social Groups
Dalit s ~ 66% BPL (projected from old ratios)
~ 16.5% Population but 29% BPL
Largest BPL among all Social Groups
ST+SC – ~ 25% Population but 45% BPL
National BPL % would drop 7.5% if SC+ST BPL :: to their population
Rural BPL would drop even more
No disaggregated data on Other Social Groups, Such as Women Headed Households

The Poor are also Heterogeneous
Declining Poor
Consumption deficits
‘ Stranded’ due to structural changes
No Assets
Accumulate social and economic deficits
Without hope
Behaviour and Practices Unsustainable in the Market
Coping Poor
Subsist but stagnant
Locked in unsustainable production systems
Limited and Fragile Asset Base
Low self-confidence
Dynamic Poor
Can take risks
Lack Access
Classical Victims of Market Failure
Therefore, Strategies Need to be Tailored to the Context

Journey Out of Poverty Access to entitlements Confidence – building (public goods) Extreme poor Most vulnerable Least resilient Least able to take risk Less vulnerable More resilient More able to take risk Assets, skills, access to entitlements (private and public goods) Coping poor BDS, access to market Financial services (private goods) Improving poor Range of Strategies

Segmented Strategies to Remove Poverty

Pathways Out of Poverty
Enhancing Self-Efficacy/Agency
Human Capital (Agency)
Creating/Spawning Sustainable Opportunities
Economic Capital (Assets, Services)
Human Capital (Range of Skills)
Social Capital (Institutions/Organizations), Linkages
Sustainable Resource Management Systems
Political Capital
Voice, Ability to Influence, Make Claims
Social Capital (Institutions)

Enhancing/Stimulating Self-Efficacy
Human Resources Needed
Empathy with the Other
Treat the Poor as Responsible Citizens with Potential
Not Beneficiaries
Not Clients
Building Helping/Nurturing Relationships
Promote Inter-Dependence

Spawning Sustainable Opportunities
Diagnostic & Design
Linking with Technology
Linking with Resource Institutions
Understanding of Human Ecology
Understanding of Finance
Understanding of Markets
Training/Skill Building

Creating Political Capital
Organizing Human Collectives
Spawning Solidarity Networks
Developing Resource Networks
Sense of Timing & Strategy
Staying Power & Resilience

Role of People’s Organisations
Enhancing Self-efficacy
Learning from and with Peers
Assurance from Others
Scale Economies
For Sharing Services
For Dealing with the Market
Political Capital
Claiming & Creating Entitlements
Constructive Collectives & Commons
Work Against Tragedy of the Commons

Why Does This Not Happen?
An Uncaring Society
Total Lack of Concern About Poverty
No debate, discussion on poverty – 42% rural; 38% total; up 50%
75% Tribes & 2/3rd dalit families BPL
At 25% of population, carry 37.5% of poverty burden; rural even worse
State-ism
Only state competent to do – it has scale
Only state can ensure fair distribution – is every where, concerned for all
Only state is accountable – Parliament, Elections
Direct control preferred to regulation
India only country with a Minister for Community Development

Why …?
No Appreciation of the Complexity of Rural Development
Treated as an intellectually inferiors activity
Only a ‘holding operation’ till every one joins the urban industrial economy
For instance, no RD institute comparable to IITs, IIMs.
No Rational Conception of the India of Future
Nature of Indian Society – Urban vs. Rural
Income Distribution
Conception of ‘good life’
Conception of Human Development

Thank You

http://ifmrblog.com	107
http://www.slideshare.net	11
http://suran-asuran.blogspot.com	6
http://www.suran-asuran.blogspot.com	3
http://www.ifmr.co.in	3
http://www.suran-asuran.blogspot.in	1

Padmashri Deep Joshi Seminar at IFMR

by IFMR on Feb 07, 2010

Accessibility

Categories

Tags

Upload Details

Usage Rights

6 Embeds 131

Statistics

Padmashri Deep Joshi Seminar at IFMR — Presentation Transcript