Half Of India Was Below Poverty Line In 2010: ADB

BANGALORE: According to Asian Development bank’s calculations, half of Indian population was Below Poverty Line in 2010. These revelations were based on its revised poverty line index to $1.51 per person per day from $1.25 set by the World Bank. The revised estimated pushed the number of people BPL, up to 584 million in 2010 from WB’s estimates of 402 million.

According to the revised estimates of ADB, almost half of Indian population, that is 47.7 percent, was below poverty line. And the Centre for Global Development also measured India’s poverty at 102.3 million, the same year. CGD’s estimate is based on the latest Purchasing Power Parity rates for 2011 of International Comparison Program, as reported by Rediff.

Estimates of WB and ADB are based on the rates of 2005; in India it is usually the Expenditure which defines poverty. India does not have any official tool to set a poverty estimate income distribution. ADB conducted this revision, as the existing poverty line is inadequate as per the conditions in the country and did not truly reflect the current minimum standard of living.

By ADB estimates India’s poverty rates raises to 15 percentage points. But by the new estimate of CGD based on 2011 rates, the number of poor in India falls significantly and also emerged as the third largest economy in the world.

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