Question

Which of the following program has considered the 'poorest of the poor' people as the target group?

• A. Training of Rural Youth for Self-Employment (TRYSEM)
• B. Indra Awaas Yojana (IAY)
• C. Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP)
• D. Jawaharlal Nehru Rozgar Yojana (JRY)

Hint:

IRDP is well-known in Indian developmental economics for its "Antyodaya" approach, which translates to "uplifting the last person" or targeting the poorest of the poor to help them escape poverty through asset creation.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Rural development programs launched by the Government of India have specific target groups to alleviate poverty and generate self-employment in rural areas.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us evaluate the primary focus of the listed programs:
Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) (C): Launched in 1978 and implemented across the country by 1980, IRDP was a major self-employment program.
Its primary objective was to assist families living below the poverty line (BPL) to cross the poverty line by providing them with productive assets and subsidies.
The program specifically prioritized the "poorest of the poor" among the rural population, ensuring they received financial assistance and technical training to set up small-scale enterprises.
TRYSEM (A): This was a sub-scheme of IRDP launched in 1979, focusing specifically on providing technical skills to rural youth (aged 18-35) from BPL families to enable self-employment.
IAY (B): This scheme focused specifically on providing housing assistance to BPL households in rural areas.
JRY (C): This was a wage employment program created by merging NREP and RLEGP in 1989, focusing on creating community assets while providing employment.
Therefore, IRDP is the program that targeted the "poorest of the poor" as its core group.

Step 3: Final Answer:
The Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) targeted the poorest of the poor, corresponding to option (C).