Poverty in India
Current Indian population is about 1.21 billion and 17 million people are continued to be added each year at the rate of 1.41 percent. Poverty level in India is considerably high and the market reforms have failed to improve the quality of life of the poor in any meaningful way. The latest official estimate of poverty accepts the presence of 33% poor in the country. The World Bank’s $1.25 a day or less puts the figure at 42% and its $2 per day line makes 76% population poor. Some may discount these figures as mere number game. But an analysis using the latest multidimensional poverty index (MPI) of UNDP puts the figure of Indian poverty at 55%. This is more meaningful as it gives both the extent and nature of poverty using ten indicators that map health, education and living standard of people.
