Who among the following formulated the concept of poverty as a measura

Who among the following formulated the concept of poverty as a measurable indicator in the Indian subcontinent ?

Dadabhai Naoroji
Romesh Chandra Dutt
V.K.R.V. Rao
M. Ranade
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2022
Dadabhai Naoroji was one of the earliest individuals to attempt to estimate poverty in India using a measurable indicator.
He calculated a ‘Poverty Line’ based on the cost of a minimum diet necessary for subsistence, essentially estimating the ‘jail cost of living’ for a basic living standard. This was linked to his ‘Drain of Wealth’ theory, arguing that British rule caused economic impoverishment in India.
While other scholars like Romesh Chandra Dutt also wrote about economic conditions and poverty during the colonial period, Naoroji is specifically recognized for his pioneering work in quantifying poverty using a structured method, making it a measurable indicator.
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