Findings from NITI Aayog’s Discussion Paper on ‘Multidimensional Poverty in India since 2005-06’ disclosed that 24.82 crore individuals have successfully escaped multidimensional poverty over the last nine years. The credit for this achievement was attributed to the government’s substantial initiatives aimed at addressing all dimensions of poverty between 2013-14 and 2022-23, as per a report from PIB Nagaland.
According to the report, the paper released today by Prof Ramesh Chand, Member of NITI Aayog, in the presence of B VR Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog, the discussion paper highlighted technical inputs provided by Oxford Policy and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), a globally recognized measure, goes beyond monetary aspects to capture poverty in multiple dimensions. MPI’s global methodology is based on the robust Alkire and Foster (AF) method that identifies people as poor based on universally acknowledged metrics designed to assess acute poverty, providing a complementary perspective to conventional monetary poverty measures.
The paper revealed that India has witnessed a significant decline in multidimensional poverty from 29.17% in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-23, marking a reduction of 17.89 percentage points. Uttar Pradesh registered the largest decline in the number of poor with 5.94 crore people escaping multidimensional poverty during the last nine years followed by Bihar at 3.77 crore, Madhya Pradesh at 2.30 crore and Rajasthan at 1.87 crore.
As per the PIB report, the discussion paper indicates that the rate of decline in the poverty headcount ratio using the exponential method was notably faster between 2015-16 to 2019-21 (10.66% annual rate of decline) compared to the period from 2005-06 to 2015-16 (7.69% annual rate of decline). All 12 indicators of MPI showed significant improvement during the entire study period.
To assess poverty levels in 2013-14 against the current scenario (2022-23), projected estimates were used due to data limitations for these specific periods.
The paper also reportedly found that the government’s multifaceted initiatives, covering all dimensions of poverty, have played a pivotal role in facilitating 24.82 crore individuals to escape multidimensional poverty over the last nine years.
It was found that the Government of India made notable progress by implementing initiatives such as Poshan Abhiyan and Anemia Mukt Bharat to improve healthcare access and reduce deprivation. Programs like the Targeted Public Distribution System, Poshan Abhiyan, and Anemia Mukt Bharat were credited.
According to the PIB, Flagship programs like Swachh Bharat Mission and Jal Jeevan Mission, among others, have collectively elevated living conditions and overall well-being.
While the performance of states varies, the reduction of multidimensional poverty has been particularly noteworthy in traditionally high-poverty states, contributing to a reduction in inter-state disparities. This progress, according to the report, signifies a resolution of fundamental issues in accessing basic services, paving the way for India to aspire towards becoming a developed nation, i.e., Viksit Bharat @2047.