Describe how the poverty line is estimated in India.

A person is considered poor if their income or consumption level falls below a given “minimum level” necessary to fulfil basic needs. This minimum level is called the poverty line. In India, the poverty line is estimated by multiplying the prices of physical quantities like food, clothing, footwear, fuel, light, education, etc., in rupees. The numbers involved in determining the poverty line vary for different years. Also, the poverty line for rural areas is different from that of urban areas because the work, lifestyle and expenses are different for rural and urban areas.