An assessment of poverty studies in india with special reference to economic reforms

Abstract

This paper is a review of studies on the estimation of the incidence and, more so, on the determinants of poverty specially in the contexts of the economic reforms initiated in India since the year 1991. The paper reviews the methodology adopted by various studies and points out thier merits and shortcomings. It compares the estimates of the incidence of poverty obtained by various studies during 1987-88 to 1993-94. We discuss various models those are used to quantitatively assess the importance of determinants of poverty and the effects of policy measures on these determinants. Studies analysing effects of sectoral growth on income distribution and hence poverty incidence have also been discussed.