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UPSC MainsGeneral Studies Paper IVEthicsPractice question

Vicious Cycle between Poverty and Disability

Illustrate the vicious cycle between poverty and disability, starting with disability. Suggest policy and ethical solutions to break this cycle.

Illustrate~250 words2 min readmedium
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How to approach

Begin by defining poverty through Amartya Sen's capability approach and showing how disability initiates this deprivation. Trace the step-by-step vicious cycle starting from disability down to structural poverty and back to disability. Conclude with ethical frameworks and targeted policy interventions like the RPwD Act and Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan to transform it into a virtuous cycle.

Model answer

352 words

Introduction

Amartya Sen conceptualises poverty not merely as an income deficit, but fundamentally as 'capability deprivation'. This deprivation is acutely catalyzed by disability, trapping vulnerable individuals and their households in a self-perpetuating, systemic socio-economic cycle.

The Vicious Cycle: Starting with Disability

When physical or mental impairment occurs, societal structures often compound biological limitations into systemic exclusion:

  • Disability: The cycle begins with an impairment that restricts functional mobility, sensory perception, or cognitive faculties.
  • Attitudinal and Institutional Barriers: Societal stigma, apathy, and discriminatory practices lead to structural exclusion, violating John Rawls' Difference Principle which mandates that inequalities must benefit the least advantaged.
  • Exclusion from Human Capital: Impeded access to inclusive schooling, higher education, and vocational training denies persons with disabilities decent livelihood opportunities, infringing on the directive under Article 41 of the Constitution.
  • Intergenerational Poverty: Minimal earning potential combined with catastrophic out-of-pocket health and caregiving expenditures pushes families into deep financial distress.
  • Deprived Living Conditions: Poverty forces individuals into precarious, hazardous housing, chronic malnutrition, and lack of preventive healthcare.
  • Manifestation of Further Disability: Severe deprivation leads to workplace-acquired injuries or congenital defects in malnourished offspring, completing and reinforcing the vicious loop.

Policy and Ethical Solutions to Break the Cycle

Breaking this trap requires shifting governance from a paternalistic 'charity-based' framework to an empowering 'rights-based' paradigm anchored in Article 21 (Right to Dignified Life):

  • Structural and Digital Accessibility: Strict and time-bound enforcement of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 and the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan. Leveraging digital crowdsourcing tools, such as the revamped Sugamya Bharat App, ensures the systematic removal of architectural and ICT barriers.
  • Operationalising Capabilities: Aligning administrative mechanisms with Martha Nussbaum's Central Capabilities approach by providing early clinical diagnosis, assistive devices, universal inclusive education, and targeted social safety nets integrated via the Unique Disability ID (UDID) scheme.
  • Affirmative Employment and Livelihood Support: Enforcing statutory job quotas, incentivising private sector hiring, and promoting accessible microfinance to ensure economic self-reliance.

Conclusion

Overcoming societal stigma through institutional sensitization and bureaucratic empathy is essential. By securing dignity, agency, and universal accessibility, public policy can convert this vicious trap into a virtuous cycle of inclusive and resilient development.

Key facts to remember

definition
Capability Deprivation

A concept formulated by Amartya Sen defining poverty not simply as a lack of monetary income, but as the lack of substantive freedom to lead the kind of life one has reason to value.

scheme
Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016

A statutory rights-based legislation that expanded recognized disability types from 7 to 21, mandated accessibility standards, and increased public employment reservations to 4 percent.

scheme
Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan)

A nationwide flagship campaign launched to achieve universal accessibility across built environments, transportation networks, and information and communication ecosystems.

Frequently asked questions

How does disability initiate the cycle of poverty?

Disability triggers attitudinal barriers and infrastructural exclusion, restricting access to quality education and productive employment, while concurrently imposing disproportionately high healthcare and caregiving costs.

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