The percentage of persons below the poverty line in 2011-12 has been estimated as 25.7% in rural areas, 13.7% in urban areas and 21.9% for the country as a whole. According to data released by Planning Commission, the respective ratios for the rural and urban areas were 41.8%, 25.7% and 37.2% for the country as a whole in 2004-05. In 2011-12, India had 270 million persons below the Tendulkar poverty line as compared to 407 million in 2004-05, that is a reduction of 137 million persons over the seven-year period. Read More