NEWS

The first multi-dimensional poverty index (MPI) was released by NITI Aayog

ABOUT

• Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya have emerged as the poorest states in India
• 9% of Bihar’s population is poor followed by 42.16% in Jharkhand, 37.79% in Uttar Pradesh, 36.65% in Madhya Pradesh and 32.67% each in Meghalaya and Assam.
• Kerala, Goa, Sikkim , Tamil Nadu and Punjab have registered the lowest poverty across India and are at the bottom of the index. Kerala has just 0.71% of its population as poor followed by 3.76% in Goa, 3.82% in Sikkim, 4.89% in Tamil Nadu and 5.59% in Punjab.
• With smaller populations, the union territories have fared better with Puducherry having 1.72% of its population as poor, Lakshadweep (1.82%), Andaman & Nicobar Islands (4.30%), Delhi (4.79%) and Chandigarh (5.97%).
• The multidimensionality of poverty, developed on the basis of the National Family Health Survey 2015-16 will facilitate formulation of sectoral policies and targeted interventions which contribute towards ensuring that “no one is left behind”.
• Under the sustainable development goals, India aims to reduce “at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions”.
• Retained the 10 indicators of the global MPI while computing the national, essentially to be closely aligned to the global methodology and rankings, it said in its report.