Poverty isn’t only about money. A household can have income above the poverty line, yet still lack clean water, electricity, or a nearby school. India’s Multidimensional Poverty Index measures exactly that gap.
MCQ QuestionsINDECO0254
10 vs 12
Global MPI indicators vs. India’s National MPI indicators
Both use the Alkire-Foster methodology, but India’s version measures two extra deprivations.
Global MPI
10 Indicators, 3 Dimensions
Health, Education, Living Standards. Built by OPHI and UNDP.
India Adds Two
Maternal Health, Bank Account
NITI Aayog’s two additions beyond the Global MPI’s 10.
India’s Progress
29.17% → 11.28%
Share in multidimensional poverty, 2013-14 to 2022-23.
People Escaped
24.82 Crore
Exited multidimensional poverty over the same nine years.
Indian Economymcqquestion.com
📊 Must Know
1. The Global MPI
- Built By The Global MPI was developed by Sabina Alkire and Maria Emma Santos at the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI). It’s produced with UNDP’s Human Development Report Office.
- Method It uses the Alkire-Foster methodology, a dual-cutoff counting approach. It measures poverty through multiple simultaneous deprivations, not income alone.
- Coverage It covers over 100 developing countries.
- Structure It has 10 indicators across three equally weighted dimensions: Health, Education, and Living Standards.
2. India’s National MPI
- Nodal Body India’s National MPI is computed by NITI Aayog.
- 12 Indicators It keeps all 10 Global MPI indicators, and adds two more: Maternal Health, and Bank Account.
- Where They Sit Maternal Health falls under the Health dimension. Bank Account falls under the Standard of Living dimension.
📉 Good to Know
India’s Progress: The Numbers
- The Drop NITI Aayog’s discussion paper found India’s share in multidimensional poverty fell from 29.17% in 2013-14 to 11.28% in 2022-23.
- People Escaped That’s a fall of about 17.89 percentage points. Roughly 24.82 crore people exited multidimensional poverty over those nine years.
- All 10 Indicators The 10 shared indicators split as: Nutrition and Child/Adolescent Mortality (Health); Years of Schooling and School Attendance (Education); Cooking Fuel, Sanitation, Drinking Water, Electricity, Housing, and Assets (Standard of Living).
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🧭 Great to Know
Why the Two Indices Diverge
- Same Method, Different Scope Both indices use identical dual-cutoff counting logic. India’s version simply asks two extra questions of each household.
- A Deliberate Widening Adding Maternal Health and Bank Account reflects two of India’s own policy priorities: reducing maternal mortality, and financial inclusion through schemes like PMJDY.
- The Common Trap Exam questions often claim these two added indicators are shared between the National and Global MPI. They are not — they exist only in India’s version.
Previous Year Question
Asked as: “Consider the following statements about Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).” (UPSC CSP 2026, GS Paper I).
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