**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer to Unstarred Question No. 823 in the Lok Sabha, to be answered on February 4, 2026, regarding people living below the poverty line (BPL). It details the government’s methodology for measuring poverty using the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) and reports on the decline in multidimensional poverty in India. It also lists various government schemes aimed at uplifting people from the BPL category.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI):**
* Developed in 2021 to measure poverty, capturing deprivations in health, education, and standard of living using 12 indicators.
* The second edition of the index was released in 2023.
* **Poverty Reduction:**
* Between 2015-16 and 2019-21, multidimensional poverty declined from 24.85% to 14.96%, indicating that about 13.5 crore people escaped poverty.
* Between 2013-14 and 2022-23, multidimensional poverty is estimated to have declined from 29.17% to 11.28%, indicating that about 24.82 crore people escaped poverty.
* Detailed information is available at the linked NITI Aayog reports.
* **Government Schemes for Poverty Upliftment:**
* Various schemes have been launched to reduce multidimensional poverty, including:
* 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)
* PM Vishwakarma
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: People Living Below the Poverty Line**
* **Impact:** Shows that the government is aware of their situation and is actively measuring and addressing poverty using various schemes and initiatives.
* **Action Required:** Benefit from various government schemes mentioned in the document to improve their standard of living.
**Stakeholder: Government of India (Ministry of Planning, Ministry of Statistics, etc.)**
* **Impact:** Requires continued efforts to implement and monitor the effectiveness of poverty reduction schemes.
* **Action Required:** Continue measuring multidimensional poverty using the MPI, analyze trends, and adjust policies as needed. Enhance the efficiency of current government schemes.
**Stakeholder: NITI Aayog**
* **Impact:** The poverty decline data presented in the document is based on NITI Aayog analysis.
* **Action Required:** Continue to monitor and analyze the MPI and its impact and publish reports on poverty trends, and make reports available to the public.
Key Entities Referenced
National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI): A comprehensive index developed to measure poverty that captures overlapping deprivations in dimensions such as health, education, and standard of living, covering 12 indicators.
NITI Aayog: An Indian governmental think tank that published research and analysis on the multidimensional poverty index.
Below Poverty Line (BPL): A socio-economic benchmark used to identify individuals and households in need of government assistance, based on income and standard of living.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY): A food security welfare scheme to provide free food grains to the poor during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ministry of Planning: A government ministry responsible for planning and development initiatives.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF PLANNING
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 823
TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.02.2026
PEOPLE LIVING BELOW POVERTY LINE
823. SHRI KHALILUR RAHAMAN:
Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:
(a) the details of people living under Below Poverty Line (BPL)
category in the country, State/UT-wise;
(b) the date on which the last estimation of BPL category was
done;
(c) whether there is an increase in the number and percentage of
BPL population when last estimation is compared to the
previous estimation and if so, the details thereof;
(d) the criterion for considering a person in the BPL category; and
(e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to uplift the
people from the BPL category?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF
STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION; MINISTER OF
STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING
AND THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE
(RAO INDERJIT SINGH)
(a) to (d): In 2021, the Government of India developed a
comprehensive index known as the National Multidimensional
Poverty Index (MPI) to measure poverty that captures overlapping
deprivations in dimensions such as health, education and standard
of living, covering 12 indicators. The second edition of the index
was released in 2023. As per the National Multidimensional Poverty
Page 1 of 2Index: A Progress Review 2023 released by NITI Aayog, the
proportion of population in multidimensional poverty declined from
24.85 per cent in 2015-16 to 14.96 per cent in 2019-21, indicating
that about 13.5 crore people have escaped poverty during the
period. Further, as per the discussion paper “Multidimensional
Poverty in India since 2005-06” published by NITI Aayog,
multidimensional poverty in India is estimated to have declined from
29.17 per cent in 2013-14 to 11.28 per cent in 2022-23, indicating
that about 24.82 crore people have escaped poverty during this
period. The details of the same are in the public domain and can be
accessed at: https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-08/India-
National-Multidimentional-Poverty-Index-2023.pdf
https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2024-01/MPI-22_NITI-
Aayog20254.pdf
(e) 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
Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
(PMAY) and PM Vishwakarma, etc.
******
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