3 Things Truth about poverty in India, India-China ties, and Delhi fuel ban
Jul 1, 2025
Udit Mishra, an expert on poverty in India, discusses the World Bank's startling claim that only 5.75% of Indians now live in extreme poverty, diving into the complexities of measuring poverty. Amrita Nayak Dutta, specializing in India-China relations, reveals insights from a key meeting between Indian and Chinese defense ministers, exploring its implications for future ties. The conversation wraps up with crucial details on a fuel ban in Delhi, aimed at combating pollution.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Complexity of Defining Poverty
- Identifying the poor in India is complex, involving administrative decisions and targeting social welfare effectively.
- Poverty lines determine who receives aid, focusing on the most disadvantaged within the country.
Evolving Poverty Lines in India
- Poverty lines in India shifted to include costs like education and healthcare, reflecting changes since liberalization in 1991.
- The Tendulkar Committee raised poverty lines to better capture true living costs beyond just minimum calories.
Data Gaps Blur Poverty Trends
- India has lagged in updating poverty methodology since 2011-12, creating data gaps and challenges in measuring true poverty trends.
- Consumption surveys showed rising poverty in 2017-18 but were disregarded by the government, complicating the poverty assessment.