Lok Sabha Question No. 1222 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-09
Subject: NITI Aayog Report on Multidimensional Poverty Reduction
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: S. Venkatesan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1222

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2024

## NITI AAYOG REPORT ON MULTIDIMENSIONAL POVERTY REDUCTION

1222.  SHRI S. VENKATESAN:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of the NITI Aayog report indicating that 24.82 crore people moved out of multidimensional poverty during the last nine years upto 2022-23;
- (b) if so, the inputs received by the Government in respect of the above; and
- (c) the  details  of  the  impact  of  the  above  stated  improvement  on  stunting  and wasting in children and anaemia among women?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

- (a)  and  (b)  NITI  Aayog  has  released  two  editions  of  the  national  Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) based on the data from National Family Health Surveys (NFHS). The first edition titled 'National Multidimensional Poverty Index: Baseline Report' was released  in  November  2021,  and  was  followed  by  the  report  titled  'National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023' released in July 2023.  These were based on data from NFHS-4 (2015-16) and NFHS-5 (2019-21). Building  on  the  findings  of  the  National  MPI  2023  report,  NITI  Aayog  has  recently released a discussion paper titled 'Multidimensional Poverty in India since the year 2005-06.' The discussion paper focuses on the prevalence of multidimensional poverty in India from 2005-06 to 2022-23, utilizing both NFHS data and projection methods for years when NFHS data was unavailable. According to the discussion paper, India's multidimensional poverty has declined sharply from 29.17% in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-23, resulting in 24.82 crore individuals escaping multidimensional poverty during the 9-year period.
- (c) As  per  the  report  of  NFHS-5  (2019-21),  the  nutrition  indicators  for  children under  5  years  have  improved  as  compared  with  NFHS-4  (2015-16).  Stunting  has reduced from 38.4% NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 35.5% NFHS-5 (2019-21), Wasting has reduced from 21.0% NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 19.3% NFHS-5 (2019-21) and Underweight prevalence has reduced from 35.8% NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 32.1% NFHS-5 (2019-21)

Moreover, as per the data of Poshan Tracker for the month of December 2023, around 7.44 crore children under 6 years were measured, out of whom 36% were found to be stunted and 17% were found to be underweight and 6% children under 5 years were found to be wasted. The levels of underweight and wasting are much less than that estimated by NFHS 5.

The  prevalence  of  anaemia  among  women  aged  15-49  years  is  57.0%  in NFHS-5 (2019-21) as compared to 53.1% in NFHS-4 (2015-16). Ministry of Health and Family  Welfare  is  implementing Anaemia Mukt Bharat (AMB) strategy  to  reduce anaemia among six beneficiary age-groups - children (6-59 months), children (5-9 years),  adolescents  (10-19  years),  pregnant  and  lactating  women  and  women  of reproductive age-group (15-49 years) in life cycle approach through implementation of six interventions via robust institutional mechanism. The steps taken to address the problem of anaemia are prophylactic Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation in all six target  age-groups,  periodic  deworming,  intensified  year-around  Behaviour  Change Communication (BCC) Campaign, testing of anaemia using digital methods and point of care treatment, addressing non-nutritional causes of anaemia in endemic pockets with special focus on malaria, hemoglobinopathies and fluorosis and convergence and coordination with other Departments and Ministries for strengthening implementation.

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