Poverty has decreased rapidly in almost half of the aspiring districts of the country
New Delhi: Nearly half of the aspirational districts in the country have recorded a sharp decline in multidimensional poverty levels, with states like Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Tamil Nadu leading the way. According to data from Niti Aayog’s ‘Multidimensional Poverty Index 2023’, 46 per cent of the 106 aspirational districts have seen a decline in multidimensional poverty.
Traditionally, poverty is measured by assessing the monetary resources available to an individual or a family. The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is now considered a more direct and comprehensive measure of people’s deprivation and poverty.
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It reflects economic growth and development, income and distribution and the outcomes of various development initiatives of the state. Moreover, it has been realised globally that non-monetary measures complement monetary measures for diverse dimensions of poverty.
This comprehensive approach proves imperative in India’s different context, enabling interventions to address poverty and uphold the principle of inclusiveness. It ensures that ‘no one is left behind.’
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According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, some aspirational districts have performed better than the national and state averages. Earlier, the government had declared 100 districts as backward, many of them in the Northeast and tribal areas.
“We changed this approach and called them aspirational and implemented schemes in mission mode. Reputed institutions and journals have praised India’s move to have aspirational districts,” PM Modi said during an event in the national capital this week. Meanwhile, a report by SBI Research earlier this year showed that India’s rural poverty ratio is projected to fall from 25.7 per cent in 2011-12 to 4.86 per cent in FY23-24, while urban poverty is projected to decline from 4.6 per cent to 4.09 per cent during the same period. “At the overall level, we believe the poverty rate in India may now be in the range of 4 per cent to 4.5 per cent,” the report said.
