The report highlights a concerning statistic: a staggering 38 percent of Gujarat’s population is facing under-nutrition, revealing a widespread problem that significantly impacts the health and well-being of people throughout the state.
Gujarat’s celebrated economic growth model has once again faced scrutiny as recent findings from the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report, released by Niti Aayog in July, cast a shadow on the state’s human development indices. Despite its high economic growth rate, Gujarat lags behind, particularly in malnutrition and infant mortality rates.
According to the report, an alarming 38 percent of Gujarat’s population is grappling with under-nutrition, unveiling a pervasive issue that deeply affects the overall health and well-being of residents across the state. This problem is particularly stark in rural areas, where 44.45 percent of the population lacks adequate nutrition, while in urban areas, 28.97 percent are similarly affected. Analyzing data from 2015-16 and 2019-21, the MPI report underscores that during this period, three out of every 100 individuals in Gujarat suffered from malnutrition.
Strikingly, the report positions comparatively backward states like Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh in a better light than Gujarat regarding nutrition. A concerning 39 percent of children in the state are found to be underweight for their age.
The numbers regarding wasted and underweight children are equally unsettling, as Gujarat ranks second with 25.1 percent and 39.7 percent, respectively. In addition to these troubling malnutrition figures, the report highlights yet another disheartening fact: over a third of Gujarat’s rural population lacks proper housing. The statistics reveal that 23.30 percent of the population is deprived of adequate housing.
Kerala, Punjab, and Tamil Nadu have surpassed Gujarat in providing housing for their impoverished populations. Rural areas are particularly affected, with 35.52 percent of the rural populace lacking proper housing. This percentage exceeds that of other major states like Haryana, Punjab, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
A deeper look at the headcount ratio highlights the disparity. States like Telangana (5.88%), Maharashtra (7.81%), Andhra Pradesh (6.06%), Punjab (4.75%), Tamil Nadu (2.20%), Kerala (0.55%), and Karnataka (7.58%) have outperformed Gujarat (11.66%). The MPI index sheds light on a skewed economic development pattern in Gujarat, concentrated predominantly in urban hubs like Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, and Rajkot.
While the intensity of poverty has decreased in Gujarat, it remains higher than several other major states including Haryana, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Andhra Pradesh. The report’s findings reveal that poverty remains a pressing concern in various parts of Gujarat, with Dahod having the highest poverty ratio at 38.27 percent and Navsari the lowest at 4.84 percent.
In summary, the Niti Aayog report underscores that Gujarat’s impoverished population continues to struggle in comparison to other major states. The disparity between economic growth and human development indicators is a stark reminder that effective measures are needed to address these pressing issues.
