NITI Aayog likely to draw the line on poverty | Business Standard News
NITI Aayog likely to draw the line on poverty | Business Standard News
My VIEW:
This is a welcome
move. Let us hope the poverty line drawn by NITI Aayog will get more
respectability and acceptance from governments(both central and states) and
policy makers.
My VIEW:
This is a welcome
move. Let us hope the poverty line drawn by NITI Aayog will get more
respectability and acceptance from governments(both central and states) and
policy makers.
A related issue is fixing of minimum wages. A report in a
mainstream newspaper (July 8, 2015) says: “To ensure uniform minimum wages
across the country, the Centre has hiked the national floor level from
Rs137/day to Rs160/day with effect from July 1, 2015.” Last such revision was
two years back when the revision was from Rs115/day to Rs137/day. Even at Rs
160 the proposed minimum wages may not bring a family of 4 above poverty line
drawn by Rangarajan panel.
mainstream newspaper (July 8, 2015) says: “To ensure uniform minimum wages
across the country, the Centre has hiked the national floor level from
Rs137/day to Rs160/day with effect from July 1, 2015.” Last such revision was
two years back when the revision was from Rs115/day to Rs137/day. Even at Rs
160 the proposed minimum wages may not bring a family of 4 above poverty line
drawn by Rangarajan panel.
As more and more jobs
are going out of the organized sector and employment of all unskilled labour
and skilled labour in many sectors are being sourced through ‘service
providers’ the bench-mark minimum wage becomes more relevant in present day
India. I am not able to relate the rates of minimum wages mentioned here to the
nutritional and survival needs of individuals/families in any geographical area
in India. Perhaps, some researchers may be able to guide how the nutrition
needs, clothes, shelter, healthcare and post-job needs are factored-in, in
these figures. Let us hope NITI Aayog will take a more considerate view, even
if it means more people going below the poverty line.
are going out of the organized sector and employment of all unskilled labour
and skilled labour in many sectors are being sourced through ‘service
providers’ the bench-mark minimum wage becomes more relevant in present day
India. I am not able to relate the rates of minimum wages mentioned here to the
nutritional and survival needs of individuals/families in any geographical area
in India. Perhaps, some researchers may be able to guide how the nutrition
needs, clothes, shelter, healthcare and post-job needs are factored-in, in
these figures. Let us hope NITI Aayog will take a more considerate view, even
if it means more people going below the poverty line.
M G Warrier, Mumbai
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