Chronic poverty, technology and human development: A comparative analysis of cycle rickshaw pliers and electric rickshaw pliers

This paper attempts to capture how in our technology driven world, the unskilled unstructured labor class in developing economies still has to depend on sheer physical strength to earn a livelihood and how technological alternates for labor do not benefit them to a great degree. The case of plying manual rickshaws and electric rickshaw was compared in this research paper; primary data was used to infer such forms of occupation are NOT sufficient to support a healthy and sustainable lifestyle as per major indices of human development. The collected data shows that almost all respondents plying manual rickshaws are living under the extreme poverty slab as per UNDP while two thirds of those plying electric rickshaw are under the extreme poverty slab which is the first goal among the Millennium Development Goals. The information collected reflects upon the human development induced by technology diffusion as much as 25% flux. This indicated the need for economic restructuring, better policy regulation and implementing technology in poverty eradication. As there are indeed alternates available and waiting to be explored.