Poverty is often defined narrowly, usually based on income. For example, the World Bank defines extreme poverty as living on less than $1.9 per day. But a single indicator is not enough to capture the multiple dimensions of poverty. Multidimensional poverty encompasses the various deprivations experienced by poor people in their daily lives – such as poor health, lack of education, inadequate living standards, disempowerment, poor quality of work, the threat of violence, and living in areas that are environmentally hazardous, among others.

Viewing poverty from its multiple dimensions is essential because:

• Economic growth is not always associated with reduction in other deprivations, such as child malnutrition or child mortality
• A person may have a low source of income but has access to basic amenities such as food, education, health etc. For example, a low income poor living in a welfare state or where there is a strong presence of NGOs.
• It helps policymakers to cater to poverty reduction in an area based on the deprivations associated with poverty.

The 2018 update to the human development index (HDI) reported that between 1990 and 2017, India’s HDI value has increased by nearly 50% as millions were lifted out of poverty. Also, as per the multidimensional poverty index (MPI) released by UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), India has lifted 271 million people out of multi-dimensional poverty in the 10 years between 2005-06 and 2015-16. The traditionally marginalized population groups such as rural populations, scheduled castes and tribes, Muslims, and young children were also found to be “catching up” fast. It has happened because of the several steps taken by government, such as:

• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) 2005: It aims to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.
• National Food Security Act, 2013: It converted food security programs such as TPDS, MDM, ICDS, maternity benefits into legal entitlements.
• National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP): A 100% centrally sponsored scheme started in 1995 that includes:

• National Old Age Pension Scheme
• National Family Benefit Scheme
• National Maternity Benefit Scheme

• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana: It was started in 2015 with an aim to provide “Housing for All” by 2022. It has subsumed previous schemes like Indira Awas Yojana (started in 1985 for rural poor and BPL) and Rajiv Awas Yojana (slum free India, 2011). Currently, it converges Saubhagya (Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana, 2017), Ujjawala (LPG scheme, 2016), Swachha Bharat Mission (2014) and PMJDY (Financial inclusion program, 2014) as well.
• Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (2000) and the Right to Education Act, 2009: The Act made education a fundamental right of every child between the ages of 6 and 14. This increased the enrolment of students as well as increased the number of elementary schools in India.
• Land Reforms: The ninth plan (1997-2002) identified Land Reforms as an important policy instrument for alleviation of rural poverty. It included Ceiling on land holdings, tenancy reforms, protecting tribal lands through PESA 1996, amendment to inheritance laws and rehabilitation acts.

Considering the merit of identifying multiple aspects of poverty, a Socio-Economic Caste Census was done in india for the first time in 2011. At present several schemes such as PM-Kisan (Rs 6000 as income support to farmers, 2019), PMKVY (skill development 2015), AYUSHMAN Bharat (for reduction in out-of-pocket expenditure, 2018), Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (includes vocational education) etc. are targeting mult dimensional poverty.