Less is less

A litre of milk costs Rs.50
One kg of lentils costs between Rs 100-200 depending on the variety.
One kg of rice costs anywhere between Rs. 40-200
One kg of flour to make roti bread costs Rs.45

Fancy supermarkets have mountains of imported products like chocolates for sale which are in big demand by a small minority. A 100gm Lindt bar costs Rs200. This is more than the daily wage for many workers in the informal economy.

According to the website paycheck.in 86 % of india's workforce is in the informal/unorganised sectors, the main sector being agriculture with subsistence farming and day labourers making up the largest portion. The minimum wage is indexed at approx Rs.450 a day but many workers are paid a third of that !!
Inflation in India sat at 12% until recently.

Child labour is still a widespread practice. It is widely accepted in industries like carpet weaving and diamond cutting to employ children. The pregnant woman in the photo works as a porter and will be lucky to make enough to eat, let alone get proper nutrition. Most poor people can only afford to eat lentils and rice or roti which is why making a livelihood is colloquially referred to as dhal roti. Where does this woman sleep and how will she find the money for shelter? When is she or her child going to go to school and get an education so that they can improve their future prospects? Who will keep them safe from harm and exploitation?

There are immense riches in this country which remain very concentrated. The gap is vast and the wealth doesn't trickle down far enough to create a standard of living for daily wage earners that is remotely comparable, between even the middle income earners and the poor. Life for daily wage earners is far from dignified. It doesn't allow access to sanitation, health and education, freedom from diseases and exploitation. Polio still hasn't been eradicated in India.

China has lifted millions out of poverty. India has got not only huge amounts of cultural and fiscal wealth, it's overflowing with spirituality, also agricultural yield, yet doesn't seem to be able to substantially and adequately reduce the number of people living in extreme poverty and the number of children who are malnourished.