Multidimensional Poverty in the context of Sustainable Development in India: Comparative analysis of Kerala and Uttar Pradesh

The impact of poverty is all-encompassing; thus, studying its multidimensional nature becomes imperative. Therefore the paper aims to give a comprehensive understanding of multidimensional nature of poverty in the context of Sustainable development in India. It compares in detail the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) performance of the states Kerala and Uttar Pradesh. It seeks to analyze the MPI indicators that contribute to the stark differences in MPI index values of the two states. This investigation extensively uses secondary data from National Family Health Surveys(NFHS)- 4 and 5 conducted in 2015-16 and 2019-21, respectively and draws an elaborate comparison of the performance of the two states using data for the two time periods. MPI consists of three equally weighted dimensions: health, education and living standards, having a total of 12 indicators. The study also compares the performance of the two states across the 12 indicators of MPI using data from the latest reports, like the SDG India Index 2023-24 and the Comprehensive Annual Modular Survey 2022-23. The results drawn highlight the stark contrasts in multidimensional poverty between the two states, with Kerala being the least poor state and Uttar Pradesh lagging far behind. It explores in depth the major indicators, factors and government schemes that contribute to the contrast