Economists C Rangarajan and S Mahendra Dev have come up with poverty numbers based on the latest Household Consumption Expenditure Survey by updating poverty lines recommended by the committee headed by the former. Estimates by the two economists show that the poverty rates declined in both urban and rural areas during 2022-23 over those in 2011-12. However, these are higher than the ones put out by SBI Research (see chart). Even then, the rate of decline in percentage points was higher in urban areas over this period according to the Rangarajan-Dev estimates than what SBI Research showed. Rangarajan talks to

First Published: Mar 12 2024 | 11:55 PM IST