July 17, 2019
India is amongst the countries that greatly reduced their MPI values, without ignoring its poorest segments of people
In India, there were 271 million fewer people in poverty in 2016 than in 2006, factoring in rapid economic growth
India is currently in a critical phase of its sustainable development efforts as 2022 marks 75 years of independence
The UNSDF programme covers multiple aspects of social development, specifically poverty, health, nutrition, education
According to the 2019 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) ‘Illuminating Inequalities’ report, India successfully lifted 271 million people out of poverty between 2006 and 2016. Over the course of a decade, social development and living standards in India improved enough to greatly reduce the country’s MPI values without ignoring its poorest segments of people.
The 2019 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) ‘Illuminating Inequalities’ report provides a detailed analysis of poverty in 100 countries, accounting for 76 per cent of global population. Released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), the report goes beyond simpler income-based variables to present a more dynamic look at how people experience poverty on a daily basis.
Within a group of ten middle-income and low-income countries, it was observed that the lower 40 per cent of populations were advancing at a higher rate than those above them. Sabina Alkire, OPHI Director, describes this phenomenon as “a pro-poor pattern that reduces inequalities in several Sustainable Development Goals”. As these countries experienced rapid population growth, poverty rates actually declined in most countries when viewed as a percentage of its population.
In 2018, Government think tank, NITI Aayog, and the United Nations signed the Sustainable Development Framework for 2018-2022, earmarking US$1.5 billion for projects around social development. The UNSDF programme covers multiple aspects of social development, specifically poverty and urbanisation, health, nutrition, education, and more.
Additionally, the Government of India signed a loan agreement worth US$200 million with the World Bank on May 7th to support the National Nutrition Mission ‘Abhiyaan’. The funding will help the national programme in achieving its goal of reducing growth-related concerns in children 0-6 years of age from 38.4 per cent to 25 per cent by the year 2022. The loan will support the first phase of the programme that covers up to 315 districts across 29 Indian states and seven union territories (UTs).
These initiatives were framed, following consultation with multiple government entities, civil society representatives, academia, and the private sector, to ensure that poverty alleviation and utilisation of national resources play vital roles in the building of a new India by 2022.