Urban Poverty and Deprivation

India is home to about 1.2 billion people but 364 million of the World's poor live in this country. Despite appreciable progress in economy, some of the low income states namely, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh continue to be poverty stricken and deprived. Urban agglomeration in India has a large number of population living below poverty line which is deprived of the basic amenities of life like housing, water, sanitation, primary education and health care and compelled to lead a miserable life in slums and squatter settlements. While the poor, migrating from villages find some means of physical sustenance through more diversified employment avenues in cities mostly informal and manage two square meals a day; the social environment they live in, is appalling. It redefines the term 'poverty' and the concept of multi-dimensional poverty emerges, since poverty cannot be measured only in terms of income . The current book has analysed poverty in India vis a vis Bihar. The book has especially emphasized urban poverty and deprivation with the help of a sample survey undertaken in Patna Urban Agglomeration. The work has calculated and analysed poverty among the sample poor population, among different caste groups and religious communities with the help of multi-dimensional poverty index. The book is the outcome of the Minor Research Project of UGC, funded by UGC, Eastern Regional Office, Kolkata. The book is written in simple and lucid language. It will help researchers and scholars of Geography, Sociology and Economics. It will also be a useful tool for planning and policy making in the concerned field of study. It will also interest general readers who are concerned about the have-nots of the society.