(a) the total population as per the recent census of India and the number and percentage out of them living below poverty line;
(b) the country’s population after partition and whether the current percentage of population living below poverty line is somewhat similar to the total population of the country at the time of partition; and
(c) if so, the details in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND MINISTRY OF HOUSING & URBAN POVERTY ALLEVIATION
(RAO INDERJIT SINGH)
(a): As per Population Census of 2011 conducted by the Office of Registrar General of India, the population in the country was estimated as 121 crore as on 1st March 2011.
The erstwhile Planning Commission estimated the number of persons living below the poverty line in a year from the poverty ratio and the estimated population of the year. The poverty ratio was derived from the Large Sample Surveys on Household Consumer Expenditure carried out by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The latest data of Large Sample Survey on Household Consumer Expenditure was collected by NSSO in its 68th round conducted in 2011-12. Following the Tendulkar Committee methodology the poverty lines and poverty ratios for 2011-12 was estimated. For 2011-12, the percentage of persons living below the poverty line in the country was estimated as 21.9 percent. The population as on 1st March 2012 was estimated as 123 crore. Based on the estimated population and the poverty ratio of 21.9 percent, 27 crore persons were living below poverty line in 2011-12.
(b) & (c): After partition, the Census population is available for 1951. As per Population Census of 1951, India''s population in 1951 was 36 crore. The latest estimates of poverty are available for 2011-12, which shows 27 crore persons were living below the poverty line.
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