Recently, Niti Aayog has released a Report National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A Progress Review 2023.
News Jungal desk: The National MPI is a measure of poverty that captures the progress of the country.
It has three equally weighted dimensions- Health, Education and Standard of Living.
These three dimensions are represented by 12 indicators such as nutrition,, child and adolescent mortality, maternal health, years of schooling,school attendence, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, assets and bank accounts.
Key Highlights of the Report:
Reduction in Multidimensional Poverty:
India witnessed a significant decline in the number of multidimensionally poor individuals.
Between 2015-16 and 2019-21, around 13.5 crore people moved out of multidimensional poverty.
Rural-Urban Divide:
Rural India experienced the fastest decline in the poverty.
Between 2015-16 and 2019-21, poverty rate dropped from 32.5% to 19.2%
While in Urban areas, poverty rate reduced from 8.6% to 5.2%.
Rural India Development:
Constitutional provisions:
Article 40: It is a part of Directive Principles of State Policy. which states that
State shall take steps to organise village panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self government.
Panchayati Raj Institutions were established through 73rd constitutional amendment act 1992 to build democracy at the grassroot level and was entrusted with the task of rural development in country.
The 11th Schedule of the constitution secured 29 functions within the purview of panchayti raj bodies including agricultural extension and land reforms.
Housing Infrastructure:
Increased access to pucca and semi-pucca houses signifies better structural integrity and better living conditions.
These houses are resilient against natural calamities, ensuring safety and comfort of rural people.
Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojna-Gramin(PMAY-G) ensures availability for rural housing infrastructure.
Clean Cooking Fuel:
clean cooking fuel is a sustainable environmental practice, which contributes in reduced indoor air pollution and positively impact overall health and well being.
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojna(PMUY)
Under Ujjwala 1.0, LPG connections were provided to 50 million women from below poverty line by march 2020.
Under Ujjwala 2.0, an additional 10 million LPG connections were provided to intended beneficiaries.
Enhanced Electricity Access:
Ensuring access to elecricity, connectivity and lighting for better economical and educational outcomes and increased productivity and enhanced quality of life.
Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojna(Saubhagya) was launched for 100% electrification nationwide.
Now government is intending to provide electricity at affordable rates, power tariff reforms, last mile connectivity and electricity connections to all households in rural and urban areas.
Thus, One Nation, One Grid initiative was announced to bring affordable power to all states.
Improved Sanitation Facilities:
Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen(SBM-G):
It aimed at eliminating open defecation in rural areas.
Over 1 lakh villages declared themselves as ODF(Open Defecation Free) Plus.
Top five performing states are Telangana, Tamilnadu, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, where maximum number of villages have been declared as ODF Plus.
Diversification of Income Sources:
Encouraging Non Farm employment opportunities to diversify income streams and reducing dependence solely on agricultural activities, which ensures financial stability and resilience against agricultural uncertainities.
MGNREGA:
It guarantees 100 days of employment in every financial year to adult member of any rural household willing to do public related unskilled manual work.
National Rural Livelihood Mission(NRLM):
It lays special emphasis on targeting the poorest of the poor and the most vulnerable communities and their financial inclusion.
It aims at creating efficient and effective institutional platforms of the rural poor enabling them to increase household income through sustainable livelihood enhancements and improved access to financial services.
Other Government Initiatives:
Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojna
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojna
Public Distribution System
Rural India Challenges:
Agricultural Uncertainities:
Rural communities are primarily dependent on agricultural activities for livelihood and facing risks of unpredictable weather patterns, market fluctutations and crop failures.
Fragmented land holdings, inadequate irrigation and outdated farming practices hinder their productivity and income generation.
Unemployment and Underemployment:
Inadequate non farm employment opportunities lead to seasonal unemployment and underemployment in the agricultural sector
Lack of skill development and market oriented vocational training limits rural workforce engagement in diverse sectors.
Unpredictable Climate Change:
Rural areas are highly impacted by unpredictable climate change, such as floods, drought, heat waves and extreme weather events.
It can effect the availability and quality of natural resources, such as water, soil, forests and livelihood of rural communities.
The polulation of farmland birds declined by one third between 1990 and 2016.
Migration and Urbanisation:
Rural areas are experiencing high rate of migration, especially of young and educated youth to urban and semi urban areas in search of better employment opportunities.
This can result in labour shortages, land fragmentation, social isolationand loss of cultural identities in rural areas.
Poor Infrastructure:
Lack of access to basic amenities, such as water, electricity, education and health care in the rural areas have limited the potential of these areas to develop and grow.
Inadequate Social Protection:
Lack of inadequate social protection such as health insurance, old age pensions and disability benefits has resulted in increased vulnerability of rural households.
Waste Management and Sanitation:
Rural areas often lack proper waste management facilities, such as segregation at source, composting, biogas plants, recycling units for organic and inorganic waste.
Which can result in environmental pollution, health hazards and aesthetic degradation.
What should be the Way Forward?
Creating more employment opportunities near villages through skill development programs, micro enterprises promotion, rural infrastructure development etc.
This can reduce the need for migration, increase the income and livelihood security of rural people and enhance their self reliance and dignity.
R&D needs to be increased by relooking at subsidies and focus is needed on diversification to millets, pulses, oilseeds, horticulture, animal husbandary, dairy and fisheries.
Attention to be given to the rural non farm sector and for the policis to revive incomes and employment for MSME’s.
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