India among the poorest in the world: Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) finds 8 Indian states poorer than the poorest in the world:

Written on 12 July 2010

© Harish Jharia                               

I recently traveled Narsinghpur, Jabalpur and Mandla districts of the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. I happened to see the people in the interior villages, living down-to-earth simple lives unaware of the fact that their standard of living is in fact termed as ‘stark poverty’ in global context. 

Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative have developed a new theory, called “Multidimensional Poverty Index” (MPI). They in association with UNDP have conducted extensive studies based on MPI, on poverty prevailing in the underdeveloped and developing countries across the world. 

The study has revealed that the people of 8 Indian states (421 million) are poorer than the poorest believed to be living in the 26 poorest African nations (410 million). If the above report is considered true, the following Indian states are the domains of the poorest in the world:

1. Bihar

2. Chhattisgarh

3. Jharkhand

4. Madhya Pradesh

5. Orissa

6. Rajasthan

7. Uttar Pradesh

8. West Bengal

Here is the time when we should stop living in a self created dreamland and boast of being a developing nation expected to be a global power. We should rather concentrate our attention on eradication of poverty from India. 

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