B.P.L.
- It stands for Below Poverty Line. - In India, government of India used BPL as a benchmark to indicate economic disadvantage and to identify individuals and households in need of government assistance and aid. - To determine BPL, there are various parameters which vary from state to state, within states and villages and urban areas have different parameters, presently criteria are based on survey conducted in 2002. - In Ninth Five –Year Plan (1997-2002) survey, BPL for rural areas was set at annual family income less than Rs. 20,000 less than two hectares land and no television or refrigerator. - In Tenth Five –Year Plan (2002-2007) survey, BPL for rural areas was based on the degree of deprivation in respect of 13 parameters – types of house, clothing, food, security, sanitation, consumer durables, literacy status, labour force, means of livelihood, status of children, type of indebtedness, reasons for migrations, etc.; and for urban areas was based on degree of deprivation in respe