Poverty in Multidimensional Perspective: Policy Insights from Selected North Indian Districts

Abstract

This article examined the multidimensional aspects of poverty in selected North Indian districts using the Alkire–Foster counting method of estimating poverty incidence and intensity. Whereas more than half of the sample households are found to be vulnerable to poverty, about a quarter of households are observed to be in the grip of poverty in these districts. Among the dimensions of deprivations, education, standard of living and economic and social security are critical in contributing to multidimensional poverty and vulnerability. In these dimensions, people are mostly deprived of fuel for cooking, sanitation, ownership assets, informal jobs and social security measures. Therefore, the policymakers ought to be proactive in understanding the socio-economic structure of these districts to formulate inclusive distributive policies as appropriate area wise. However, policies such as urbanization, promotion of technical/vocational education, initiation of micro and small entrepreneurial activities completing and supplementing to farm activities and introducing measures of social protection can help people come out of the tragedies of poverty.