Final answer:
The famine in India, like the 1943 Bengal famine, was caused by absolute scarcity due to inadequate supply of basic needs, exacerbated by wartime decisions made by the British government. The correct answer is a) Absolute scarcity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The famine in India, particularly the Bengal famine of 1943, was predominantly a result of absolute scarcity. This type of scarcity refers to situations where there is an inadequate supply of basic necessities such as food, clean water, safe housing, and access to healthcare. During the Bengal famine, policies and decisions made during World War II by the British government, including a 'scorched-earth' policy and other wartime strategies, exacerbated natural shortfalls in supply. The famine resulted in the deaths of about 3 million people, highlighting the lack of food as the immediate cause, but it was intensified by man-made decisions and policies which prevented the supply of food from meeting the basic needs of the population.
Relative poverty, on the other hand, is a state where people have access to basic necessities but are unable to meet their society's average standard of living. The question seems to be referring to a situation of absolute poverty, where people suffer from severe deprivation of basic human needs.
Therefore, the correct answer is a) Absolute scarcity.