Although India has managed to reduce poverty since its independence, only since 1995 has the decline been fairly steady. This report evaluates the history and current state of poverty in India. Chapter one reviews the evolution of poverty in India and the progress the country has made. It also describes the poor, detailing sources of income, caste, ethnicity, religion, and family structure in relation to poverty. Chapter two covers growth, human development, and anti-poverty programs. Annexes give poverty measurements and village studies. Tables, boxes, and figures illustrate topics such as trends in literacy rates, characteristics of the rural poor, central budgetary expenditures on anti-poverty programs, land reforms and poverty reduction, and progress in poverty reduction by states.