Why India needs a new poverty line & updated Census--In conversation with Surjit Bhalla & Pronab Sen

#ThePrintUninterrupted
India’s need for a poverty line, the shortcomings of Niti Aayog’s Multidimensional Poverty Index, how to measure poverty in India now, and the urgent need for an updated Census. Former IMF Executive Director Surjit Bhalla & Standing Committee on Statistics Chairman Pronab Sen discuss these issues and more in ThePrint Uninterrupted with Deputy Editor TCA Sharad Raghavan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exclusive content, special privileges & more - Subscribe to ThePrint for Special benefits: theprint.in/subscribe/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connect with ThePrint
» Subscribe to ThePrint: theprint.in/subscribe/
» Subscribe to our KZbin Channel: bit.ly/3nCMpht
» Like us on Facebook: / theprintindia
» Tweet us on Twitter: / theprintindia
» Follow us on Instagram: / theprintindia
» Find us on LinkedIn : / theprint
» Subscribe to ThePrint on Telegram: t.me/ThePrintIndia
» Find us on Spotify: spoti.fi/2NMVlnB
» Find us on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/3pEOta8

[@sugisuresh5749]

In this era of acrimonious debates it's pleasing to watch people disagreeing in a civil manner.

[@Dk2-vs7hh]

Mr Bhalla is being civil despite provocation!!

[@sven_86]

enjoyed this thoroughly too....we need to bring THIS India back again.

[@snjoshi6945]

Thanks for an interesting talk with distinguished guests. The need for reliable data to facilitate policy formation is utmost necessary. Keeping data under wraps is helping no one. We hope the Govt will seriously and sincerely commence census and open up data in the interest of nation.

[@mr.rathour6454]

Its shameful ki itne time se census hi ni kraya

[@jaydeepgadhavi5465]

Excellent conversation. I remember reading an op-ed long ago that there's nothing to be proud of informalization in the economy as politicians want us to. It doesn't just make it difficult to collect data but also slows down growth. There are challenges with formalization enforced like the rise up of monopolies but that's a challenge the govt. has to deal further on.

[@dakshinshiva]

Just here to hear Pronab countering Surjit.

[@rijzone]

What happened to Bhalla's prediction of 320 BJP seats?

[@rijzone]

Excellent discussion nonetheless

[@Dadasahab1234]

Not only Bhalla,every one erred. Khata khat changed situation khata khat.😊

[@natvarsinhzala9078]

Khata khat mil gaya lagta hai 😅😅

[@105lakshyarajsinghkhangaro7]

He is more reliable economist than psephologist😂

[@vaibhavgupta20]

+

[@shantanusapru]

What an excellent, wonderful discussion!!

[@schandar77]

Great discussion. Very data driven

[@saurabbbhardwaj1930]

This will be fun. Bhalla is such a Joke

[@arshadajmal2443]

It is always educative to listen Proneb Sen in contrast to Surjit Bhalla who always confuse the things.

[@abhi4biotech]

Nice conversation and discussion 👌 this conversation highlights the loopholes existing, which are important for defining economics and development index of our country

[@mubarak642]

what a brilliant conversation ❤

[@maheshmanian]

Very interesting and important topic

[@kbmehta4208]

Interesting discussion

[@Rjj323]

In india most of us are urban poor.

[@cokedupnormies2651]

27:55 for that you need to remove reservation and OPS and pump that money into a larger bureaucracy. That means more IAS, IRS, and even IPS to enforce this information. Without this, it won't be possible.

[@lawyermahaprasad]

I don't understand why its difficult , anyone who do not have capacity to continuously afford the fundamental rights & social security guarantee under our constitution , independently without support = poverty , ie - Food, Water, Shelter(housing) , education ,health, trade. The operating word is Independently able to afford these at market rate. In my view Communication & transportation should be added as well.

[@SarvajitChakravarti]

The 800 million people receiving free food must be considered BPL. Multi-dimensional poverty consideration will raise the figure to over a billion. Another way to consider poverty is to include all those not required to pay income tax, which would leave only 150 million people above the poverty line

[@badgerking200]

People back in my native village take the free ration and use it as feed to their cattle. Most lower income people don't give up anything free they can get from government. There are more nuances to everything.

[@badgerking200]

PS: I am talking about people who have cars. I am in Haryana, btw.

[@105lakshyarajsinghkhangaro7]

80 crore provided free ration due to NFSA ACT 2013 which mandate free/subsidised ration to 75% rural population and 50% urban population

[@avishekm1985]

I am in abject poverty earning a meagre 3500 per month but I am not getting any support from the govt. So, yes a new poverty line is the need of the hour so that govt can target the lower rung of the society and it finally reach to people like us. It's indeed a pleasure to watch these stalwarts having a debade.

[@Dk2-vs7hh]

While being able to follow such discussions and write comments on the internet in impeccable English, it’s hard to understand why you can’t make more than 3500 a month.. my illiterate maid makes about 25000 a month doing chores in 7-8 houses!!

[@KumarDasDev]

Dr Sen

[@cokedupnormies2651]

17:00 this is the essence of the anti-Nehru stance. Ancient ideology needs to go into renaissance.

[@koljoy]

There is one way to measure economy and poverty, savings data. I think that will show the truth.

[@motei1853]

What credibility that guy bhalla has left!!. He keeps batting for BJP all the time

[@utsabgangopadhyaya4274]

"... It should resonate with people..." That was hilarious! 😂.

[@rajshekhar1147]

Count Aadhaar numbers to get approximate population number. Link aadhaar numbers of family. Too much data will come out.

[@LimayeRahul]

80 crores of rations each month. For me this is an indication of 50% below poverty line. It should not be a mathematical or statistical calculation

[@SeekerSeeker]

One bengali one punjabi sitting in ac room discussing country while their states are burning😂😂😂😂😂

[@teachonlywhatiseasy]

surijit must have advised against prioritizing census and maybe he needs to revisit this after this conversation. At the very least take UN's data and get your samples up to date for other statistics instead of using 2011 census data. improvise goddamnit

[@Dk2-vs7hh]

Despite following Mr Sen, Amartya Sen etall, West Bengal has fallen from amongst top states to bottom on per capita GDP!!

[@PaleoReal]

Surjit Bhalla, AGAIN? Why? You dont like subscribers?

[@RKV8527]

Converted Christians do not disclose their caste/religion to protect reservation benefits. In democracy, secularism, diversity and in a modern, civilised, educated and digital society, there is no place for conversion. The affected communities should start agitation

[@Dadasahab1234]

On paper they continue to remain S.C, S T. to get all benefits, though they convert themselves into christianity. T.N.is burning example.

[@petervaz765]

Interesting that conversion is such an important issue. Isn't that guaranteed in the Constitution. Keep trying for charsopar. Why do people who have such issues with religion of others, conversion etc. stampede to the West for their citizenship and to acquire their passports. Everyone has a right to choose their faith, and everyone has the right to propagate their faith. There are more important issues that confront our society than getting fixated on religious beliefs.

[@deflexion3677]

@RKV8527 you cannot force a human being to follow the ideology of some joker just cause his ancestors followed it. my fore fathers converted to christianity to find enlightenment because they believe it is the real religion. Keep crying about religion while other countries reform culturally and economically.

[@deflexion3677]

you cannot force a human being to follow the ideology of some joker just cause his ancestors followed it. my fore fathers converted to christianity to find enlightenment because they believe it is the real religion. Keep crying about religion while other countries reform culturally and economically.@@Dadasahab1234

[@VyGee3311]

Pink shirt so pompous

[@narendra2492]

Why we need to know about poverty line from these guys. I think instead of these guys unnecessarily confuse us by semantics there is a simpler way of knowing it and that is through knowing what percentage of children born are low birth weight (LBW). Currently it is around 28% in India . So, 28% people in this country are in poverty infact in absolute poverty. So don't listen to anyone who make unsubstantiated claims.

[@aswathy8754]

My child was born with LBW. Issue was not food intake by me but a problem with the cord. Nothing to do with poverty

[@narendragupta5265]

Medical reasons for LBW are miniscule. Most are owing to maternal undernutrition and anaemia. 28% are stunted and 8% severely malnourished. The stunted and SAM are children who didn't die early. LBW, stunting and SAM are the best indicators to know the number of people in poverty. This can be measured very precisely than any other way you try to estimate poverty.

[@rajshekhar1147]

Instead of such complexity, can we put one simple parameter to judge poverty, any family consuming less than 600 GB mobile data are below poverty line.

[@PseudoProphet]

This is exactly how China also ended poverty. We also did it now. 😂😂😂

[@user-yl1kk4sf6y]

Sounds like two people from Lutyens are discussing minutiae

[@shymaldas2429]

This video is a waste of time 😭

[@sanjaygadhalay1523]

Surjit ball is a fraud. Dint jmget him.fot sny future serious discussion s. Sorry. Nonsensical.discusiion