In this insightful essay, Rajni Kothari examines the meanings of poverty in its economic, social and political aspects, and studies the role the state and market play, both nationally and internationally, in the worsening of poverty. He also explores disempowerment- the declining access of the poor to the power structures of society. This publication seeks to convince our generation of the social and ethical necessity to transform our understanding of poverty and to reverse current tendencies towards economic impoverishment.