there’s still a lot of work to do

A report by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) shows that between 2005-06 and 2019-20, 415 million people in India came out of poverty. Of this, since 2015-16, more than 14 crore made their withdrawals in the latter part of that period. This follows a World Bank report which also noted the decline in Indian poverty levels. While measuring poverty is complex, and various statistical benchmarks and parameters can make a huge difference in outcomes for a large country like India, it is heartening that our overall disadvantaged numbers are trending downward. What happened during the Covid pandemic remains a matter of research. More than two-thirds of the 2019/2021 Demographic and Health Survey for India used by the UNDP was collected before the pandemic. According to anecdotal evidence as well as some academic surveys, there is no doubt that Covid has pushed many Indians back financially and pushed many into poverty despite India’s massive free food distribution rescue program . Poverty is prevalent all around even today. As with any other crisis, we must be wary of declaring victory over this prematurely.