Poverty and hunger

Current affairs on this topic 1

• Op-ed: Anganwadis shape India's future, and communities must share responsibility for them 14 September 2026

  Anganwadis reach 8.9 crore children and women. Can local committees make sure the hot meal actually arrives?

Background from the reference shelf

• Multidimensional Poverty Index
• Global Hunger Index

Previous-year questions 7

1. 2025 · GS2 · 15 marks Inequality in the ownership pattern of resources is one of the major causes of poverty. Discuss in the context of 'paradox of poverty'.
2. 2024 · GS2 · 10 marks Poverty and malnutrition create a vicious cycle, adversely affecting human capital formation. What steps can be taken to break the cycle?
3. 2021 · GS2 · 10 marks Can the vicious cycle of gender inequality, poverty and malnutrition be broken through microfinancing of women SHGs? Explain with examples.
4. 2020 · GS2 · 15 marks "The incidence and intensity of poverty are more important in determining poverty based on income alone". In this context analyse the latest United Nations Multidimensional Poverty Index Report.
5. 2019 · GS2 · 10 marks There is a growing divergence in the relationship between poverty and hunger in India. The shrinking of social expenditure by the government is forcing the poor to spend more on non-food essential…
6. 2018 · GS2 · 15 marks How far do you agree with the view that the focus on lack of availability of food as the main cause of hunger takes the attention away from ineffective human development policies in India?
7. 2017 · GS2 · 10 marks Hunger and Poverty are the biggest challenges for good governance in India still today. Evaluate how far successive governments have progressed in dealing with these humongous problems. Suggest…