4th Year 7th Semester Final Examination, 2020

Course DS 402: Poverty: Concept, Measurement and Policy

Bachelor of Social Science (10th Batch)
Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka

Time: 1.5 Hours || Answer any TWO of the following || Full Marks: 25

1. (a) Economists calculates number of poor people in an area/country through Cost of Basic Needs
(CBN) method. Write three reasons about why economists want to measure number of poor people
in an area/country? (2.5)

(b) Based on CBN method, the poverty line in Dhaka urban area was 3,500 taka per person per
month in 2019. This tells if a four member family earns more than 3,500×4 = 14,000 taka, the
members of that family will not be counted as poor. Based on this information answer the following
questions:

Suppose a four-member household (husband, wife and two kids) lives in Mirpur in a rented house.
The husband works as a car mechanic in a repairing shop and earns BDT 17,000 per month, and the
wife looks after the family.

i) Are the members poor in this household? Explain. (2)

ii) Then, one of their parents moved to live with them. The parent is not employed and
has no income from savings or assets. Find whether the members of this family now
lives in poverty. (2)

iii) The parent is now selected by Government of Bangladesh for an old age allowance
of BDT 600 per month. Find whether the members of this family now lives in
poverty. (2)

iv) Now, a new baby is born in the family. The family went for a new baby thinking it
could be a boy and therefore will be good for future household income. Find whether
the members of this family now lives in poverty. (2)

v) The wife now joined in a job with wage of BDT 6000 per month. Find whether the
members of this family now lives in poverty. (2)

1
2. Why is Action Plan development important for any particular project important? Develop an Action
Plan with SWOT Analysis on ‘Reaching the women entrepreneurs with special stimulus package during
COVID 19’. (12.5)

GOAL:

Targets Activities Responsible Needed Time schedule Indicators to

organisation resources and and milestones measure
and persons from whom? realisation of
intentions

3. a) Explain different types of trajectory pattern with examples. (4.5)

b) Develop a case story of your choice who has been severely affected by COVID 19 and sketch the
trajectory pattern using life history approach. Discuss the factors associated with the trajectory pattern and
make a comment behind the reasons of the sketched trajectory pattern. (8)

4. What is Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)? What would be the MPI using the following
information. Also, calculate the contribution of each dimension to multidimensional poverty. What will
happen if there is 100% coverage for electricity? Make comments on the policy implications of your
findings. (12.5)

Households

Indicators 1 2 3 4 5
Household Size 4 6 7 5 8
Education
No one has completed six years of schooling 0 1 1 1 1
At least one school-age child not enrolled in school 0 1 0 0 1
Health
At least one member is malnourished 1 1 1 0 1
One or more children have died 0 0 1 1 0
Living conditions
No electricity 0 1 1 1 1
No access to clean drinking water 0 0 1 0 0
No access to adequate sanitation 0 1 1 0 0
House has dirty floor 0 0 0 0 1
Household uses “dirty” cooking fuel 1 1 1 1 1
Household has no access to information and has no assets related to 0 1 0 1 1
mobility or assets related to livelihood
Note: 1 indicates deprivation in the indicator; 0 indicates non-deprivation.