Q.Which of the following best describes 'absolute poverty'?

Absolute poverty fixes a minimum survival benchmark and checks whether a household clears it, independent of anyone else's income.

Compare each option against the absolute-vs-relative distinction covered above; only (b) matches the fixed-benchmark definition.

Option-by-option analysis:

• (a) describes relative poverty, not absolute poverty — relative poverty is measured as a fraction of median/average income in a society.
• (b) is the correct definition: absolute poverty fixes a minimum benchmark of basic needs (such as a calorie threshold) and classifies a household as poor if it falls below that fixed line, regardless of how rich or poor the rest of society is. This is the approach India's official poverty line uses.
• (c) is incorrect — absolute poverty is chiefly used in DEVELOPING countries like India, precisely because meeting basic survival needs is the more urgent policy question there; relative poverty is more commonly used in developed countries.
• (d) is incorrect — poverty is measured through income/consumption expenditure (or multidimensional deprivation), not through unemployment status alone, though the two are related (Section 6).