Real essence of independence is freedom from poverty: CJI Thakur

Chief Justice of India T.S. Thakur on Monday said the real essence of independence is freedom from poverty and exploitation, adding that the challenge was whether it would be removed after 70 years.

"The population of India in 1947 was 32 crore. 10 crore people were still below the poverty line. At least one-third of the population was below the poverty line. Today, India's population is 125 crore and around 40 crore people are below the poverty line. But you have drawn the poverty line in such a way that a person earning Rs. 26 in a village and a person earning Rs. 32 in a city goes above the poverty line. So the big challenge is whether we have been able to remove poverty after 70 years," Thakur said.

Pointing out the problem of unemployment, Thakur said if he issues a vacancy for the post of a clerk in the Supreme Court, even a post-graduate would apply.

"When I was the chief justice in the Punjab Haryana high court, I asked a clerk about his educational qualification. He said he has studied Masters in Arts. The real essence of independence is when we get freedom from poverty and exploitation," he added.