UPSC Indian Society – Chapter 11: Poverty and Developmental Issues (20 MCQs)

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UPSC Indian Society – Chapter 11: Poverty and Developmental Issues (20 MCQs) – 20 questions, subject: Indian Society. Every question has the correct answer with a one-line explanation; tap "Show Answer". Free practice for TNPSC, UPSC, SSC, Bank and RRB exams – Shanmugam IAS Academy, Coimbatore.

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1.  

The "capability approach" to poverty is associated with:

Correct Answer: A [Amartya Sen]

Explanation:

Amartya Sen defined poverty as deprivation of basic capabilities, developed in Development as Freedom (1999).

2.  

India's last official poverty estimate (21.9% in 2011-12) was based on the method of the:

Correct Answer: C [Tendulkar Expert Group]

Explanation:

The Planning Commission's 2011-12 estimate of 21.9% used the Tendulkar method and remains India's last official poverty estimate.

3.  

The "culture of poverty" thesis was put forward by:

Correct Answer: B [Oscar Lewis]

Explanation:

Anthropologist Oscar Lewis, from 1959, argued that the poor develop fatalistic, present-oriented values passed on to their children.

4.  

Which of the following is NOT a dimension of NITI Aayog's Multidimensional Poverty Index?

Correct Answer: A [Income]

Explanation:

income is not used.

5.  

The idea of the "vicious circle of poverty" is associated with:

Correct Answer: A [Ragnar Nurkse]

Explanation:

1953.

6.  

The Human Development Index was introduced by the UNDP in:

Correct Answer: B [1990]

Explanation:

The UNDP's first Human Development Report, designed by Mahbub ul Haq with Amartya Sen, introduced the HDI in 1990.

7.  

Under the National Food Security Act, 2013, the maximum coverage of the urban population is:

Correct Answer: C [50%]

Explanation:

The NFSA, 2013 covers up to 75% of the rural and up to 50% of the urban population.

8.  

The term "feminisation of poverty" was first used by:

Correct Answer: C [Diana Pearce]

Explanation:

1978.

9.  

According to NITI Aayog's MPI for 2019–21, which State had the highest head-count ratio of multidimensional poverty?

Correct Answer: D [Bihar]

Explanation:

33.76%.

10.  

Consider the following statements:

1. The LARR Act, 2013 requires a social impact assessment for land acquisition.
2. The Aspirational Districts Programme was launched in 2018.
3. The Rangarajan poverty estimate was formally adopted by the government.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

The LARR Act requires a social impact assessment and the Aspirational Districts Programme began in 2018; Rangarajan's estimate was not adopted.

11.  

Assertion (A): Scheduled Tribes are over-represented among people displaced by development projects.

Reason (R): Many dams and mines are located in forest and hill areas where tribal communities live.

Correct Answer: A [Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A]

Explanation:

Dams and mines sit in forest and hill areas where tribals live, which explains why Scheduled Tribes are over-represented among the displaced.

12.  

The Multidimensional Poverty Index is calculated using the method developed by:

Correct Answer: D [Alkire and Foster]

Explanation:

The MPI uses the Alkire–Foster counting method, developed at OPHI and used by UNDP and NITI Aayog.

13.  

Development as Freedom (1999) was written by:

Correct Answer: B [Amartya Sen]

Explanation:

Amartya Sen wrote Development as Freedom (1999), setting out the capability approach to poverty and development.

14.  

The VB-G RAM G Act, 2025 guarantees how many days of wage work a year?

Correct Answer: D [125]

Explanation:

The VB-G RAM G Act, 2025, in force from 1 July 2026, raised the rural work guarantee from 100 to 125 days.

15.  

Which of the following measures inequality, and so is used in the study of relative poverty?

Correct Answer: D [Gini coefficient]

Explanation:

measures inequality.

16.  

The Socio-Economic and Caste Census was conducted in:

Correct Answer: B [2011]

Explanation:

The Socio-Economic and Caste Census was conducted in 2011 and is used to identify beneficiaries of several schemes.

17.  

Arrange the following in chronological order:

1. VB-G RAM G Act
2. Lakdawala Expert Group
3. Alagh Task Force
4. National Food Security Act

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: C [3-2-4-1]

Explanation:

1979, 1993, 2013, 2025.

18.  

The Narmada Bachao Andolan is best known for raising the issue of:

Correct Answer: A [displacement by dams]

Explanation:

The Narmada Bachao Andolan opposed the displacement of tribals and farmers by the Sardar Sarovar and other Narmada dams.

19.  

NITI Aayog estimated that between 2013-14 and 2022-23 about how many people left multidimensional poverty?

Correct Answer: A [24.82 crore]

Explanation:

NITI Aayog's January 2024 paper estimated that about 24.82 crore people left multidimensional poverty between 2013-14 and 2022-23.

20.  

The "trickle-down" idea of development assumes that:

Correct Answer: B [the benefits of growth will reach the poor over time]

Explanation:

Trickle-down assumes that the benefits of overall growth will gradually reach the poor without direct redistribution.

➤ Full notes, maps, tables, a reason for every option and Mains PYQs – U07 · Indian Society (UPSC book, ₹249): www.shanmugamiasacademy.in/study-materials/upsc-indian-society

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