Subject: Social Justice

India's transformative journey in poverty reduction is evident through the Multi-dimensional Poverty Index (MPI), which goes beyond traditional income-based measures to capture the true essence of deprivation across multiple dimensions of human development.

Significance of Multi-dimensional Poverty Analysis

• Income-Based Limitations: Traditional income-based poverty measures fail to capture non-monetary aspects of deprivation like access to education, healthcare, and basic amenities.
• Comprehensive Framework: The MPI framework considers 12 key indicators across three vital dimensions:
  • Health (nutrition, child mortality)
  • Education (years of schooling, school attendance)
  • Standard of living (cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water).

Key Findings of Latest MPI Report

• Significant Progress: India's MPI value witnessed a remarkable reduction from 0.117 to 0.066 between 2015-16 and 2019-21, indicating substantial improvement in living standards.
• Headcount Ratio: The proportion of multidimensionally poor population decreased from 24.85% to 14.96%, showcasing effective poverty alleviation measures.
• Regional Variations: States like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan demonstrated the fastest poverty reduction rates.

Notable Improvements

• Sanitation: Recorded the highest improvement with a 21.8% point reduction in deprivation, attributed to schemes like Swachh Bharat Mission.
• Cooking Fuel: Showed significant progress with a 14.6% point reduction, thanks to initiatives like Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.
• Nutrition and Education: Substantial improvements observed through programs like Mid-Day Meal Scheme and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

India's success in reducing multidimensional poverty demonstrates the effectiveness of its holistic approach through flagship programs like POSHAN Abhiyaan and Ayushman Bharat. However, continued focus on regional disparities and vulnerable sections remains crucial for achieving SDG 1 (No Poverty) by 2030.