New Delhi : Kerala has the least poverty among states, says baseline report of national Multidimensional Poverty Index(MPI) released by Niti Aayog. Measured by varied parameters on deprivation only 0.71% of the population in Kerala are multidimensionally poor. Bihar has highest rate of poverty with 51.91% of its population rated poor, followed by Jharkhand 42.16% and Uttar Pradesh at 37.79%. Overall poverty is calculated taking into account general condition prevalent in the state.
Health parameter comprises child-adolescence mortality, healthcare for pregnant women and access to nourishing food. School attendance and years of schooling constitutes education parameter. Cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, assets and bank account forms parameter constitutes standard of living.
UP and Bihar lag far behind
Child-adolescence mortality rate in Kerala is just 0.19% while that figure for Uttar Pradesh is 4.97%. Deprivation of basic maternity care is as high as 45.62% in Bihar and an unimpressive 35.45% in Uttar Pradesh. If any one family member of age 10 or above has not attended school for at least six years, that household will be deemed poor on the education front. Going by that measure, 26.27 percent in Bihar are educationally poor, while the number is just 1.78 for Kerala.
In Jharkhand 43.30 percent population live without sanitation facilities. Manipur lags the farthest behind in housing terms, where 76.80 % people do not have basic housing amenities and the number in Kerala is only 16.70%.
Nagaland is in the leadfor population percentage without bank accounts - 7.10 % of the people have no account with a bank. The MPI report is based on data of National Family Health Survey conducted tin 2019-20.
Accomplishments
The Left government’s commitment for social welfare even when reeling from pandemic won the state credits from several national agencies. All reports released nationally in the past six months underscore that Kerala’s counter measures are role models for rest of the country. The pointing reports are :
● Kerala gets best rating in NITI Aaog’s poverty index
● Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi fares among the top best cities in the country - NITI Aayog’s urban Sustainable Development Goal(SDG) Index
● Kerala featured as state that provided most in online education during Covid - Annual Status of Education Report(ASER)
● Lowest mortality rate - Public Affairs Index 2021
● Kerala adjudged as the best governed state - Public Affairs Index rankings 2021
● Kerala rated as outstanding performer - as per NITI Aayog’s Sustainable Goal Index 2021
