Indian Society Part 5: Poverty Lines — From Lakdawala to the MPI, Exam-Ready Notes

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Poverty measurement is a method story: committee, method, year, cut-off.

On this page

  1. Committee line
  2. Debates
  3. Scheme floors
  4. Revise in 30 seconds

Committee line

  • Lakdawala 1993: consumption-anchored uniform poverty line basket.
  • Tendulkar 2009: Rs 447 rural / Rs 579 urban monthly per capita at 2004-05 prices.
  • Rangarajan 2014: Rs 972 / Rs 1407; 29.5% poor.
  • NITI MPI review 2021-23: 11.28% multidimensionally poor; 24.82 crore exited since 2013-14.

Debates

  • 2022-23 HCES: rural per-capita monthly consumption Rs 3,773, urban Rs 6,459 — reweighting debate.
  • Global comparisons: World Bank $2.15 (2017 PPP) extreme line; India estimates in low single digits.

Scheme floors

  • NFSA coverage 67%; PMAY-G asset floor; ODF-plus and Ayushman health floors complete the safety stack.

Revise in 30 seconds

  • Tendulkar: Rs 447/579 (2004-05 prices).
  • Rangarajan: Rs 972/1407, 29.5%.
  • MPI: 11.28% poor, 24.82 crore exited.
  • NFSA: 67% coverage ceiling.

Quick revision

  • Lakdawala 1993: consumption-anchored uniform poverty line basket.
  • Tendulkar 2009: Rs 447 rural / Rs 579 urban monthly per capita at 2004-05 prices.
  • Rangarajan 2014: Rs 972 / Rs 1407; 29.5% poor.
  • NITI MPI review 2021-23: 11.28% multidimensionally poor; 24.82 crore exited since 2013-14.
  • 2022-23 HCES: rural per-capita monthly consumption Rs 3,773, urban Rs 6,459 — reweighting debate.
  • Global comparisons: World Bank $2.15 (2017 PPP) extreme line; India estimates in low single digits.