The government in ‘Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – National Indicator Framework (NIF) Progress Report, 2024’, revealed that it is developing a national indicator to measure "extreme poverty".
- NIF tracks India's progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’ which aims to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030.
Need for National Indicator
- Lack of updated official poverty line: India’s official poverty line is based on the Suresh Tendulkar Committee's report in 2009.
- Committees led by D T Lakdawala (1993), and C Rangarajan (2014) also suggested criteria for “poverty line”.
- However, C. Rangarajan committee’s report was not adopted by the Centre.
- Committees led by D T Lakdawala (1993), and C Rangarajan (2014) also suggested criteria for “poverty line”.
- Varying global indicators: According to IMF less than 1% of Indians lived in extreme poverty in 2021, whereas according to the World Bank, it was 12.92% in 2021.
- Policymaking and tracking progress: A reliable poverty estimate is critical for designing, implementing and monitoring anti-poverty programmes.
Measurement of Poverty in India
- The Official Poverty line is based on consumption expenditure (stated in rupees).
- Consumption Expenditure Surveys (CES) are conducted every five years by the National Sample Survey Office.
- NITI Aayog has launched National Multidimensional Poverty Index (NMPI) according to which poverty reduced to 14.96% in 2019-21 from 24.85% in 2015-16.
Calculation of Poverty by Suresh Tendulkar Committee
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