FOCUS ON REDUCING POVERTY INSTEAD OF BOOSTING GDP

WHILE the Economic Survey 2022-23 praises India's efforts to lift 41.5 crore people out of poverty between 2005-06 and 2019-21, and the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MDPI)-adopted by NITI Aayog too-also indicates a reduction in poverty levels, the reality is that India still has the largest number of poor people in the world at 22.8 crore.

- DR AMAR PATNAIK

In the Global MDPI Index 2020, India ranked 62 out of 107 countries. South Asian neighbours such as Sri Lanka (25), Bangladesh (58), China (30), and even emerging economies like South Africa (42) and Brazil (33) are far better placed. Further, in the latest MDPI report of 2022 (where no ranks were published), India has the largest number of poor in the world, amounting to 228.9 million. Why are others doing better than us when our economic growth in GDP terms beats them all? Because MDPI considers not only economic well-being but also factors such as health, education and living standards to determine the level of deprivation.

The Economic Survey 2022-23 says the cost of healthcare in India is a major driver of poverty. Out-of-pocket health expenditures account for 48.2% of total health expenditures. As per the Rural Health Statistics Report 2021-22, there is a shortage of more than 80% of the required surgeons and paediatricians in the 6,064 community health centres nationwide. A similar shortage exists in tertiary healthcare institutions, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).