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Question

Author of the book 'Poverty and Famines'

The correct answer is

Amartya Sen

Amartya Sen and 'Poverty and Famines'

The question asks about the author of the renowned book 'Poverty and Famines'. This book is a significant work in the field of economics and development studies, particularly concerning poverty, famine, and food security.

The Book 'Poverty and Famines'

The book 'Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation' was published in 1981. It presents a groundbreaking analysis of the causes of famine, moving beyond simple food availability decline. Instead, it introduces the 'entitlement approach', which argues that famines occur not necessarily because of a lack of food, but because people lack the ability to acquire food, even if it is available. This inability can stem from various factors such as unemployment, price changes, or a breakdown of social safety nets.

Key aspects of the book include:

  • It challenges the common 'Food Availability Decline' (FAD) theory of famine.
  • It introduces the 'entitlement approach' to explain why specific groups of people are vulnerable to famine, focusing on their access to food.
  • It analyzes several historical famines, including the Great Bengal Famine of 1943, to support its theoretical framework.
  • The book emphasizes the role of economic, social, and political factors in causing and alleviating poverty and famines.

Amartya Sen's Contributions

The author of 'Poverty and Famines' is Amartya Sen. He is a distinguished Indian economist and philosopher who was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1998 for his contributions to welfare economics and social choice theory. His work has profoundly influenced development economics, public policy, and studies on poverty, inequality, and human capabilities.

Amartya Sen's research extends beyond 'Poverty and Famines' to include:

  • The concept of 'capabilities' and 'functionings' in development.
  • His work on gender inequality and the 'missing women' phenomenon.
  • Contributions to social choice theory, including Arrow's Impossibility Theorem.
  • Extensive writings on freedom, human rights, and justice.

Therefore, based on the historical and academic context, Amartya Sen is the correct author of the book 'Poverty and Famines'.

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Important Questions from Decline of Industries

  1. The debate as to whether the Indian economy under the British rule was characterised by growth or stagnation or progressive impoverishment has not yet come to an end. What is the major reason for the inconclusive character of the debate?

  2. Whose ‘open letters’ on the Indian economy to Lord Curzon forced the British Indian government to publish an official rebuttal and also initiate reformatory economic measures?

  3. The drain theory had an important role in the rise of economic nationalism in colonial India. Which statement is FALSE about the theory?

  4. Who is the author of the book 'Poverty and Un-British Rule'?

  5. In the year 1929, the agricultural sector and the community were badly affected, because the decline in agricultural prices was more and longer than the values of ______.

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