Niti Aayog launches National Multidimensional Poverty Index
Andalib Akhter / New Delhi
This is a good news for India as the number of persons living in multidimensional poverty in the country has fallen from 24.85 percent to 14.96 percent between 2015-16 and 2019-21 according to the National Multidimensional Poverty Index released by the NITI Aayog here today.
Briefing media in New Delhi, NITI Aayog CEO B.V.R. Subrahmanyam said, 13.5 crores people have escaped from multidimensional poverty in five years. He said, India is on course to achieve Sustainable Development Goals target much ahead of schedule by 2030. He also said the report shows that poverty in rural areas has declined sharply from 32.59 percent to 19.28 percent during the period.
Rural areas saw the fastest decline in poverty from 32.59% to 19.28%.
India on track to achieve SDG Target 1.2 much ahead of 2030 deadline.
Substantial improvements across all the 12 MPI indicators on ground.
Uttar Pradesh registered the highest decline in the number of poor with 3.43 crore, followed by Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.
Improvements in nutrition, years of schooling, sanitation, and cooking fuel played a significant role in bringing down poverty
Uttar Pradesh has registered the highest decline in the number of poor with 3.43 crore people followed by Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. Providing multidimensional poverty estimates for the 36 States and Union Territories and 707 Administrative Districts, the report states that the fastest reduction in the proportion of multidimensional poor was observed in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan. The report says that improvement in nutrition, years of schooling, sanitation, and cooking fuel have played a significant role in bringing down poverty.
The National Multidimensional Poverty Index is a holistic measure defining poverty based on health, education, and living standards and estimates poverty at national, state, and district levels, shaping reform plans for States and UTs.
According to official release all 12 parameters of the MPI have shown marked improvements. Flagship programmes like the Poshan Abhiyan and Anaemia Mukt Bharat have contributed to reduced deprivations in health. Initiatives such as Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) have improved sanitation across the country.
The impact of these efforts is evident in the swift 21.8 percentage points improvement in sanitation deprivations. The provision of subsidized cooking fuel through the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) has positively transformed lives, with a 14.6 percentage points improvement in cooking fuel deprivations. Initiatives like Saubhagya, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), and Samagra Shiksha have also played a major role in significantly reducing multidimensional poverty in the country. The remarkable progress achieved through extremely low deprivation rates especially for electricity, access to bank accounts and drinking water, reflects the Government’s unwavering commitment to improving citizens’ lives and creating a brighter future for all. Consistent implementation across a diverse set of programmes and initiatives that have strong interlinkages has led to significant reduction in deprivations across multiple indicators.