NITI Aayog report says 24.82 cr Indians escaped multidimensional poverty in last 9 yrs
Multidimensional poverty is measured by improvement in health, education, and standard of living.
A total of 24.82 crore individuals in India escaped multidimensional poverty over the last nine years, with the largest decline reported in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, a report released by the NITI Aayog on Monday, said.
Multidimensional poverty is measured by improvement in health, education and standard of living.
According to findings of the NITI Aayog’s Discussion Paper "Multidimensional Poverty in India since 2005-'06", multidimensional poverty in India declined from 29.17% in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-23, with about 24.82 crore people moving out of this category during this period.
Uttar Pradesh registered the largest decline in the number of poor people with 5.94 crore people escaping multidimensional poverty over the last nine years, followed by Bihar at 3.77 crore, Madhya Pradesh at 2.30 crore and Rajasthan at 1.87 crore.
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According to the paper, the pace of decline in poverty headcount ratio using the exponential method was much faster between 2015-16 to 2019-21 (10.66% annual rate of decline) compared to 2005-06 to 2015-16 (7.69% annual rate of decline).
“All 12 indicators of MPI have recorded significant improvement during the entire study period. To assess the poverty levels in the year 2013-14 against the current scenario (i.e. for the year 2022-23), projected estimates have been used due to data limitations for these specific periods,” a release issued by the NITI Aayog said.
Further, the paper gave credit for this achievement to the initiatives of the government to address all dimensions of poverty between 2013-14 to 2022-23.
It said that India is likely to achieve its SDG target (Sustainable Development Goal) of halving multidimensional poverty before 2030. It credited the government's “persistent dedication” and “resolute commitment” to enhancing the lives of the most vulnerable and deprived have been instrumental in this accomplishment.
“The government of India has made remarkable progress in improving the lives of people, aiming to reduce poverty in all dimensions. Noteworthy initiatives like Poshan Abhiyan and Anemia Mukt Bharat have significantly enhanced access to healthcare facilities, leading to a substantial decrease in deprivation," it said.
It added: “Operating one of the world's largest food security programs, the Targeted Public Distribution System under the National Food Security Act covers 81.35 crore beneficiaries, providing food grains to rural and urban populations. Recent decisions, such as extending free food grain distribution under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for another five years, exemplify the government's commitment.”
