Dikhyaa Mohanty 
In the last nine years, 102.78 lakh Odishans have emerged from the multidimensional poverty bracket, per a discussion paper published by NITI Aayog. According to the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), which takes into account twelve different indicators of poverty included under three broad dimensions, namely health, education, and standard of living, Odisha was one of five states that saw the sharpest decline in the number of people classified as poor. Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar are the other states.
From 34.28 percent of MPI poor in 2013–14 to 11.07 percent in 2022–2023—Odisha experienced a notable decrease. Although the state’s multidimensional poverty rate was 15.68 percent in 2019–21, it was 29.34 percent in 2015–16 and a staggering 63.84 percent in 2005–06. Regarding the number of employees, the discussion paper stated that during the previous eighteen years, the percentage of multidimensionally poor employees decreased by 52.77%.
According to the report, India’s population living in multidimensional poverty is estimated to have fallen to 11.28 per cent in 2022-23 from 29.17 per cent in 2013-14. The paper gave credit for this achievement to the initiatives of the government to address all dimensions of poverty between 2013-14 to 2022-23. “The government of India has made remarkable progress in improving the lives of people, aiming to reduce poverty in all dimensions. Noteworthy initiatives like Poshan Abhiyan and Anemia Mukt Bharat have significantly enhanced access to healthcare facilities, leading to a substantial decrease in deprivation,” it said.
