e\„\” `⁄«\~ a⁄\‡ \‹~ r⁄\”ƒ\ l\‹”››‒ PWV `†ƒ\ o\|ƒ¢ƒ| i›·‒‹\“ ›¢ r›|ƒ\“ r|ƒ¡‹|¡†K u›“MhuGQHK i·“„Lc¡| QOPQK fifiMPWVLQPQ ISSN 0975 – 5942 u›“MhuGQHK i·“„Lc¡|¡«‘¡‒ QOPQK fifiMPWVLQPQ uƒ†ƒ‡Y ⁄‡‡fiYNN•••Mƒ†\fi†Lƒ‹~ƒ\M›‒£N`oirrNƒ‹~¡‚M⁄‡« Å h‹‡¡‒‹\‡ƒ›‹\“ r›|ƒ¡‡„ ¢›‒ `†ƒ\Lo\|ƒ¢ƒ| r‡·~ƒ¡† Ghr`orHK •••Mƒ†\fi†Lƒ‹~ƒ\M›‒£ Regional Distribution of Vulnerable Poor and Poverty Alleviation Programmes in Jammu and Kashmir Fayaz Ahmad Bhat* and Shazia Manzoor** *Research Scholar, Department of Sociology and Social Work, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India **Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, University of Kashmir Corresponding author: fayazbht8@gmail.com Abstract Poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon. In its wider sense, it reflects the lack of access to various basic necessities, such as nutrition, health care, education, housing, security and opportunities for overall future improvement. All those whose income or expenditure is below the minimum per capita consumer expenditure and are deprived from the access to these basic necessities of life are considered to be poor or people living below the poverty line. Poverty alleviation is the national objective and the entire process of planned development has been directed towards attainment of this objective. The present paper attempts to explain the regional distribution of poor population in the state. The paper also intends to highlight the relationship between poverty and socio- demographic variables like sex ratio, household size, affiliation with particular social group and religion and level of literacy. More than twenty percent population of the State is poor and poverty is higher in the newly carved out districts of the State. Sex ratio among the poor is higher and household size is small when compared with the general population. Scheduled Tribes and Muslims report higher incidence of poverty. BPL population has more illiterates than the general population of the State. Though State government in collaboration with Central government is trying its level best to ameliorate the condition of the poor through its poverty alleviation programmes, but it has not been fully successful to do so. Keywords: Poverty, Vulnerable, Below Poverty Line, Alleviation, Jammu, Kashmir, State.