Jul 17 2014 : The Times of India (Delhi)
1/3rd of world's extreme poor in India: UN study
Himanshi.Dhawan@timesgroup.com
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New Delhi
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India is home to the largest number of poor with one-third of the world's 1.2 billion extreme poor living here. It also had the highest number of under-five deaths in the world in 2012, with 1.4 million children dying before reaching their fifth birthday , according to the UN Millennium Development Goals report 2014.Poverty rates in Southern Asia fell from 51% in 1990 to 30% two decades later with China leading the way . Extreme poverty in China came down from 60% in 1990 to 16% in 2005 and 12% in 2010.
In India, poverty reduction was sluggish in comparison coming down from 49.4% in 1994 to 42% in 2005 and 32.7% in 2010. Two-thirds of the extreme poor (those who lived on income less than $ 1 a day) live in India, China, Nigeria, Bangladesh and Congo.
Minority affairs minister Najma Heptulla said the report's findings present a challenge to the Modi government and that it would be able to surmount it. “Good days will come,“ she said. “We don't have to be proud of what we have done. Poverty is the biggest challenge... I am sure when the next report comes, we will have done much better,“ she said, stressing on the PM's commitment to poverty elimination and his mantra of “sabka saath sabka vikas (Development with all, for all)“. According to the report, almost 60% of people who defecate in open reside in India, which also accounts for 17% of global maternal deaths.
South Asia, of which India is the largest and most populous country , has fared worse than other Asian regions on most counts. The region has, however, done well in school enrolment.
UN resident coordinator Lise Grande said the Millennium Development Goals can't be met globally if they're not reached in India.
In India, poverty reduction was sluggish in comparison coming down from 49.4% in 1994 to 42% in 2005 and 32.7% in 2010. Two-thirds of the extreme poor (those who lived on income less than $ 1 a day) live in India, China, Nigeria, Bangladesh and Congo.
Minority affairs minister Najma Heptulla said the report's findings present a challenge to the Modi government and that it would be able to surmount it. “Good days will come,“ she said. “We don't have to be proud of what we have done. Poverty is the biggest challenge... I am sure when the next report comes, we will have done much better,“ she said, stressing on the PM's commitment to poverty elimination and his mantra of “sabka saath sabka vikas (Development with all, for all)“. According to the report, almost 60% of people who defecate in open reside in India, which also accounts for 17% of global maternal deaths.
South Asia, of which India is the largest and most populous country , has fared worse than other Asian regions on most counts. The region has, however, done well in school enrolment.
UN resident coordinator Lise Grande said the Millennium Development Goals can't be met globally if they're not reached in India.
