New Delhi: According to the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) of NITI Aayog, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh have emerged as the poorest states in the country.
According to the index, 51.91 percent of the population of Bihar is poor. Whereas in Jharkhand 42.16 percent and in Uttar Pradesh 37.79 percent of the population is poor. Madhya Pradesh (36.65 percent) ranks fourth in the index, while Meghalaya (32.67 percent) is at fifth place.
Kerala (0.71 percent), Goa (3.76 percent), Sikkim (3.82 percent), Tamil Nadu (4.89 percent), and Punjab (5.59 percent) are the states with the least number of poor people in the entire country and are at the bottom of the index.
According to the report, India’s National Multidimensional Poverty Index is prepared using a globally accepted and robust methodology developed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). In the Multidimensional Poverty Index, the economic condition of the family and the state of deprivation are mainly assessed.
India’s MPI measures three similar dimensions – health, education, and standard of living, the report said. It is measured through 12 indicators such as nutrition, child and adolescent mortality, antenatal care, years of schooling, school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, property, and bank accounts.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework adopted by 193 countries in 2015 has redefined development policies and government priorities to measure development progress around the world.
Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, said in the introduction of the index, “The development of India’s National Multidimensional Poverty Index is an important contribution towards establishing a public policy tool. It monitors multidimensional poverty, calls for evidence-based and focused interventions to ensure that no one is left behind.”
Kumar further said that this baseline report of India’s first national MPI is based on the reference period of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2015-16. He said that the national MPI has been prepared using 12 key components covering areas such as health and nutrition, education and standard of living.
You can download the full report here:http://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2021-11/National_MPI_India-11242021_0.pdf
