Give a brief account of the schemes introduced by the government in the direction of poverty alleviation.

Poverty has been a major problem in India since the unknown. Every fourth person in India is poor. There are still a lot of people who fall below the poverty line and hence are unable to meet even the basic needs of their daily lives. India is a developing country and one of the main objectives of Indian developmental strategy is the removal of poverty. Therefore, there is a number of policies and programmes launched by the government for poverty alleviation. The government anti-poverty strategy is based on the promotion of economic growth and targeted anti-poverty programmes. The schemes that were launched are:-

● Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act 2005 - The two aims of this programme are-

i) To provide 100 days of wage employment to every household security in rural areas.

ii) Sustainable development to address the cause of drought, deforestation and soil erosion.

● Prime Minister Rozgar Yojna (PMRY)-

i) Launched in 1993.

ii) To create self-employment opportunities for youths in rural areas and small towns who are unemployed but educated.

iii) Help offered to set up small business and industries as well.

● Rural Employment generation programme (REGP)-

i) Launched in 1995.

ii) Create employment opportunities in rural areas and small towns.

● Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY)-

i) Launched in 1999.

ii) With the help of bank created and government subsidy it aimed to bring poor families above the poverty line by organizing them into self-help groups.

● Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY)-

i) Launched in 2000.

ii) Giving additional assistance to states for basic services like primary health, primary education, rural shelter, electrification, water.