**Executive Summary**
This document is an answer provided by the Minister of State of the Ministry of Planning to Unstarred Question No. 2052 in Lok Sabha, to be answered on 11.02.2026, regarding the criteria to determine the poverty line in India. It summarizes the government's approach to measuring and addressing multidimensional poverty. The document refers to the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and various government schemes aimed at poverty reduction.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI):**
* NITI Aayog released the second edition of the National MPI titled "National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023".
* The MPI uses the Alkire-Foster (AF) methodology, capturing deprivations through 12 indicators across health, education, and standard of living.
* The proportion of the population in multidimensional poverty decreased from 24.85% to 14.96% between 2015-16 and 2019-21, with 13.5 crore people escaping poverty.
* Multidimensional poverty declined from 29.17% in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-23 implying that 24.82 crore people have escaped poverty during this period.
* **Government Schemes for Poverty Reduction:**
* Various schemes have been launched to reduce multidimensional poverty.
* Examples include: Saksham Anganwadi & POSHAN 2.0, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN), Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan, Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya), PM Ujjwala Yojana, Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) and PM Vishwakarma.
* **Expert Committee for New Criteria:**
* The government is not contemplating constituting an expert committee to fix new and contemporary criteria for determining the poverty line in the near future.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholders:**
* **The Poor/Impoverished Population:**
**Impact:** Their welfare is the central focus of the document's discussion of poverty criteria and government schemes.
**Action Required:** Need to be aware of the schemes available to them.
* **Government (Ministry of Planning, NITI Aayog):**
**Impact:** Responsible for monitoring and addressing poverty through the MPI and various schemes.
**Action Required:** Continue implementing and evaluating the effectiveness of the poverty reduction schemes and monitoring the MPI.
* **Policy Makers:**
**Impact:** This document provides information for making decisions related to poverty alleviation.
**Action Required:** To consider the data and initiatives when formulating and adjusting policies.
Key Entities Referenced
NITI Aayog: An Indian government think tank responsible for policy formulation. It released the National Multidimensional Poverty Index.
National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI): A measure of poverty based on multiple deprivations in health, education, and standard of living, published by NITI Aayog.
Tendulkar Committee: A committee that previously provided a methodology for determining the poverty line in India.
Rangarajan Committee: A committee that previously provided a methodology for determining the poverty line in India.
Ministry of Planning: The ministry to which the question about the criteria to determine the poverty line was addressed.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF PLANNING
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2052
TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2026
CRITERIA TO DETERMINE POVERTY LINE
2052. SHRI. DHARMENDRA YADAV:
Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:
(a) the details of officials criteria for determining the poverty line
in the country at present and the year since when it has been
applicable;
(b) whether the Government has not notified any new scientific
or practical criteria for the determination of the poverty line
after the Tendulkar Committee and Rangarajan Committee
and if so, the details thereof;
(c) the manner in which essential expenses like expenses on
health, education, housing, nutrition and inflation have been
included in determining the current poverty line;
(d) whether due to the old criteria of determining the poverty line,
the actual poor people remain deprived of many welfare
schemes and if so, the details thereof; and
(e) whether the Government is contemplating upon constituting
an expert committee to fix new and contemporary criteria for
determining poverty line in the near future and if so, the
details thereof and the timeline fixed for the same?
Page 1 of 3ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY
OF STATISTICS & PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION; MINISTER OF
STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING
AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE
(RAO INDERJIT SINGH)
(a) to (d) NITI Aayog has released the second edition of the National
Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) titled “National
Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023”. The
Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) is based on the Alkire-Foster
(AF) methodology- an internationally recognized method which
captures overlapping deprivations through 12 indicators in
dimensions such as health, education, and standard of living. The
baseline report was published in November 2021 and the second
edition of the National MPI report was released in July 2023. As per
the latest report, the proportion of population in multidimensional
poverty declined from 24.85% to 14.96% between 2015-16 and 2019-
21, indicating that about 13.5 crore people have escaped poverty
during the period. Further, as per the discussion paper on
Multidimensional Poverty in India since 2005- 06 published by NITI
Aayog, Multidimensional Poverty in India is estimated to have
declined from 29.17% in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-23 implying that
24.82 crore people have escaped poverty during this period.
The Government has launched various schemes to reduce
multidimensional poverty, which, inter alia, include Saksham
Anganwadi & POSHAN 2.0, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna
Yojana (PMGKAY), Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM
POSHAN), Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan, Pradhan
Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya), PM Ujjwala Yojana,
Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Pradhan
Page 2 of 3Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
(PMAY) and PM Vishwakarma.
(e) No, Sir.
******
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