The new measure called MPI (Multidimensional Poverty Index) developed by Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) with the United Nation Development Programme’s (UNDP) support claimed that acute poverty prevails in eight Indian states. The measure revels that eight Indian states – Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, UP and West Bengal are poorer than 26 poorest African countries combined.
The creators of the MPI said that it gives a multidimensional picture of people living in poverty and is expected to help target development resources more effectively. The measure reveals the nature and extent of poverty at different levels: from household up to regional, national and international level. This new multidimensional approach has been adapted for national use in Mexico, and is now being considered by Chile and Colombia. The MPI assesses a range of critical factors or ‘deprivations’ at the household level: from education to health outcomes to assets and services, these factors provide a fuller portrait of acute poverty than simple income measures, according to OPHI and UNDP.
