Solution

  According to the latest National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) released by Niti Aayog, as many as 135 million people in India escaped multidimensional poverty between 2015-16 and 2019-21.   Based on the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5) data, the central government’s think tank found that the share of multidimensional poor in the Indian population declined sharply to 14.96 per cent in 2019-21, from 24.85 per cent in 2015-16.  During the period under review, rural areas witnessed a sharper decline in the incidence of multidimensional poverty — to 19.28 per cent from 32.59 per cent; in urban areas, it declined to 5.27 per cent from 8.65 per cent.   Providing multidimensional poverty estimates for all the 36 states and Union Territories and 707 Administrative Districts, the NITI Aayog’s report stated that the fastest reduction in the proportion of multidimensional poor was observed in the Uttar Pradesh where 34.3 million people escaped multidimensional poverty, followed by Bihar (22.5 million), Madhya Pradesh (13.57 million), Rajasthan (10.8 million), and West Bengal (9.26 million).