Shame we still debate whether poorest of poor should sleep

Calling for effective measures to deal with poverty, Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung today said that it was a "shame" that even in the 21st century the debate still focused whether the poorest of the poor should sleep hungry or not.
"It's a shame on all of us that we actually have a debate in the country going on whether the poorest of the poor in the country should sleep hungry or not," he said at the Durgabai Deshmukh Memorial Lecture on Growth and its pro-poor character here.
"Is it not a shame that in the 21st century mankind should still need to rethink on issues of inclusive growth," he asked.

Jung said we should not neglect education, which not only prepares individuals for jobs but also assist in their superior intellectual growth.
"The failure lies in the neglect of education. We are giving people a type of education which prepares them to get jobs in the market but does not prepare them for superior intellectual growth," he said.
"We will continue to struggle. We will continue to blame the poor boys and girls in the Naxal areas who forced to take up the guns, what we can now call a behaviour that is unacceptable," he said.

Economist S K Thorat while addressing the seminar said that in the periods between 1993-2010, poverty in India declined significantly but there were discrepancies in the declination of poverty among the different sections of society.

"Everybody has benefited. But the rate differs from one group to another. Poverty among Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes have declined at a lower rate than non-SC," he said.
Thorat said that poverty among "Muslims in rural areas declined but same was not seen in the urban areas" where "52 per cent of total population of Muslims indulge in self-employment due to lack of job opportunities".