More than 40 per cent of the population is illiterate, with women , tribal and scheduled castes particularly affected. It would be incorrect to say that all poverty reduction programmes have failed. The main causes of poverty are illiteracy, a population growth rate by far exceeding the economic growth rate for the better part of the past 50 years, protectionist policies pursued since 1947 to 1991 which prevented large amounts of foreign investment in the country. Poverty alleviation is expected to make better progress in the next 50 years than in the past, as a trickle-down effect of the growing middle class. Increasing stress on education, reservation of seats in government jobs and the increasing empowerment of women and the economically weaker sections of society, are also expected to contribute to the alleviation of poverty.
Eradication of poverty can only be a very long-term goal in India.
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