Multidimensional Poverty Index: Kerala The Least Poor; Bihar, Jharkhand, UP In The Poorest List

With 51. 91 per cent of the population classified as poor, Bihar has emerged as the poorest state in India, according to the first Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) prepared by the Niti Aayog.

Bihar is followed by Jharkhand (42.16), and Uttar Pradesh (37.79).

Madhya Pradesh (36.65 per cent) and Meghalaya (32.67 per cent) makes up the list of the poorest states in India.

AFP

Bihar also has the highest number of malnourished people followed by Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Bihar poorest

Five districts of Bihar have 60 per cent people under the rich category while 11 of them have over 60 per cent people under the poor category.

The minority-dominant Kishanganj district of Seemanchal region has 64.75 per cent people living under below poverty line (BPL), followed by Araria (64.65 per cent), Madhepura district (64.43 per cent) East Champaran (64.13 per cent), Supaul (64.10 per cent), Jamui (64.01 per cent), Sitamarhi (63.46 per cent), Purnea (63.29 per cent), Katihar (62.80 per cent), Saharsa (61.48 per cent) and Sheohar (60.30 per cent).

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Meanwhile, the districts where 50 per cent people come under the poor category are Munger (40.99 per cent), Rohtas (40.75 per cent), Siwan (40.55 per cent) and Bhojpur (40.50 per cent).

Bihar also ranks worst when it comes to percentage of population deprived of maternal health, percentage of population deprived of years of schooling, school attendance and percentage of population deprived of cooking fuel and electricity.

AFP

Kerala best performing

The best performing states in India according to the Index are Kerala (0.71 per cent), Goa (3.76 per cent), Sikkim (3.82 per cent), Tamil Nadu (4.89 per cent) and Punjab (5.59 per cent).

While among union territories (UTs), Dadra and Nagar Haveli ( 27.36 per cent), Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh (12.58), Daman & Diu (6.82 per cent) and Chandigarh( 5.97 per cent), have emerged as the poorest UTs in India, Puducherry having 1.72 per cent of its population as poor, Lakshadweep (1.82 per cent ), Andaman & Nicobar Islands (4.30 per cent) and Delhi (4.79 per cent) have fared better.

According to the report, India's national MPI measure uses the globally accepted and robust methodology developed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

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Importantly, as a measure of multidimensional poverty, it captures multiple and simultaneous deprivation faced by households, it added.

The report said, India's MPI has three equally weighted dimensions, health, education and standard of living - which are represented by 12 indicators namely nutrition, child and adolescent mortality, antenatal care, years of schooling, school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, assets and bank accounts.

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