Multidimensional poverty in assam and India: A comparative analysis

Poverty is one of the most serious problems facing the world economy today. Although there is a huge reduction in poverty at the global level, the world is still facing this problem despite having commendable achievements in economic growth. In 2019, about 1.3 billion people were still living below the poverty line in 101 countries (UNDP and Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative). India is also achieving great progress in reducing both monetary and multidimensional poverty. According to NITI Aayog's poverty estimation, 2022, within the period 2005-06 and 2015-16, the incidence of multidimensional poverty has declined to 27.5 percent. In the particular case of Assam, the incidence of MPI is found as 32.67 percent, which is higher than the national average. Traditionally, the estimation of poverty is based on a single dimension, i.e., income or consumption. But, poverty is not a one-dimensional rather, it is a multidimensional global phenomenon (Amartya Sen, 1976). The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) measures the poverty of households in three basic dimensions: education, health and standard of living. All three dimensions are given equal weight, and various indicators are used to measure deprivations in each dimension. In this background, the present study, by using secondary data and descriptive and analytical research methods, mainly aims to make a comparative analysis of the status of multidimensional poverty of Assam and India.