India (Commonwealth Union)_ According to the latest report released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford, India has witnessed a significant decline in its poverty-stricken population over the past 15 years. The report reveals that 415 million people have escaped poverty between 2005-2006 and 2019-2021, marking a 64.26% reduction. The incidence of poverty, measured as the percentage of people considered poor, has also dropped from 55.1% in 2005-2006 to 16.4% in 2019-2021, based on the Multidimensional Poverty Index compiled by UNDP and OPHI.
The Multidimensional Poverty Index found acute deprivations in health, education, and standard of living by examining ten indicators such as nutrition, child mortality, education levels, school attendance, access to basic amenities like cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, power supply, housing, and asset ownership. These indicators are categorized into three dimensions: health, education, and living standards. The report highlights that India has made progress in reducing deprivation across all these parameters, and the poorest states and marginalized groups, including children and disadvantaged caste groups, have witnessed the fastest improvements.
The report’s findings align with those of India’s policy think tank, Niti Aayog, indicating significant advancements in Multidimensional Poverty Indicators. Ravi S Srivastava, a professor at the Institute of Human Development, acknowledged that the drive for progress in many of these areas started in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with substantial achievements made even before 2014. According to the report, India is listed among the 25 nations that have cut poverty by 50% within the 15-year timeframe, alongside countries like Cambodia, China, Congo, Honduras, Indonesia, Morocco, Serbia, and Vietnam. However, the report acknowledges that assessing the immediate prospects for poverty reduction is challenging due to the lack of comprehensive data during the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Srivastava, the pandemic has had an impact on income, livelihoods, health programs, and education. While immunization programs have covered the gaps that emerged in health services, learning levels have suffered despite school attendance returning to pre-pandemic levels. The report suggests that there may be long-term consequences for the drop in learning levels. Additionally, the report highlights that the percentage of people living below the monetary poverty line, according to government standards, was 21.9% between 2011 and 2021. However, when considering the poverty line of $2.15 per day (based on purchasing power parity as per the Sustainable Development Goals), the percentage of people living in poverty was 10%.
