Poverty Line Estimation — Prelims Strategy

Prelims Strategy

To ace Prelims questions on Poverty Line Estimation, a structured approach focusing on factual accuracy and comparative analysis is essential.

First, create a chronological timeline of all major committees/groups: Dadabhai Naoroji, Working Group (1962), Dandekar-Rath (1971), Alagh (1979), Lakdawala (1993), Tendulkar (2009), and Rangarajan (2014).

For each, memorize the year, the base year for their calculations, their core methodology (e.g., calorie norm, consumption basket components), the price indices used (WPI, CPI-AL, CPI-IW), and their key recommendations (e.

g., specific rural/urban poverty lines for a given year). Pay special attention to the shifts in methodology, such as Tendulkar's move away from the calorie norm and Rangarajan's reintroduction of specific nutritional norms.

Understand the definitions of key terms like Headcount Ratio, Poverty Gap Index, and Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) , and the current World Bank international poverty line. Practice MCQs that test comparisons between committees (e.

g., Tendulkar vs. Rangarajan), their sequence, and the specific features of their methodologies. Focus on trap options that swap committee recommendations or misrepresent their core approach. Vyyuha recommends creating flashcards for committee details and drawing comparison tables to consolidate information, ensuring quick recall of specific figures and methodological nuances.