Miserable life to lead in.

I still remember reading this a month back or two, where Students from IIM-B went on to see how life is all about with “Just Rs 32 in pocket”. Surviving on single banana for breakfast, rice dish from roadside vendor for lunch, biscuits for tea time. Not a life that you would expect from  the future CEOs from the most prestigious B-school of the country to lead. But this is what some of the IIM-B students experienced for a day early that week - just to know what it is to be poor.

I don’t want to provide with too much of statistics but The Planning Commission told the Supreme Court that the below poverty line (BPL) population in the country is 40.74 crore (almost 40% of India right..??) and the poverty line for the urban and rural areas could be provisionally placed at Rs. 965 per capita per month (around Rs.32 per day) and Rs.781 per capita per month (around Rs.26 per day), respectively.

As part of their elective programme 'Inclusive Business Models', around 75 students were exposed to another world - that of people who live with just Rs 32 per day (the below poverty line cut-off).

The students, in groups of five, went to different slums in and around Bangalore, interacted with the slum-dwellers, trying to understand their lives and finally tried to come up with suitable business solutions that can help them. Interestingly, some of them even went on to experiment what it is to live with only Rs 32 to get a hands-on experience. 

"My strategy was to have two meals - Rs 10 each. But I wanted to make sure it was wholesome so I do not feel hungry. I could not get anything from campus for that much." So I ventured into the smaller lanes outside the campus. “I could get three akki rotis and two bananas within Rs 10. I know it's not possible for me to survive for a long time like this, but may be for a day or two. It was a life-time experience, it makes you realise the value of money," said a student.

 "Mine was an absolute failure. I found it was impossible to live with Rs 32. I did not touch my car, used the mobile only to receive calls, went out to market to get bananas, ate from roadside vendors, got low quality vegetables, yet it did not fit in," said another. 

While some gave up smoking for the day as cigarettes were expensive, there were others who gave up on luxuries like using a laptop. 

From understanding the aspirations of slum-dwellers to sending their children to English medium schools, students got a peek into the lives of the poor.

Food for thought:- Of course by god’s grace, I have been lucky enough to get two meals a day with other facilities . But how people live with Rs 32 a day is something I just wonder about every now and then. It has made me mindful about many a things. Want to live a day like this soon, so that I can do my bit in future. Probably u too should. Think over it…