Lok Sabha Question No. 2052 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-11
Subject: Criteria to Determine Poverty Line
Ministry: PLANNING
Asked by: Shri Dharmendra Yadav

## 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?

## ANSWER

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 201921,  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

Mantri  Jan  Dhan  Yojana  (PMJDY),  Pradhan  Mantri  Awas  Yojana (PMAY) and PM Vishwakarma.

(e) No, Sir.

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