More poor' in India than Africa

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/10609407.stm

The new measure of poverty assesses household poverty Eight Indian states account for more poor people than in the 26 poorest African countries combined, a new measure of global poverty has found.

The Indian states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, have 421 million "poor" people, the study found.

This is more than the 410 million poor in the poorest African countries, it said.

The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) measures a range of "deprivations" at household levels.

Developed by Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) with UN support, it will feature in the upcoming UNDP Human Development Report.

The measure assess a number of "deprivations" in households - from education to health to assets and services.

"The MPI is like a high resolution lens which reveals a vivid spectrum of challenges facing the poorest households," said OPHI director Dr Sabina Alkire.

UNDP finds 8 Indian states acutely poor

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/undp-finds-8-indian-states-acutely-poor/645647/
Agencies Tags : Poverty, UNDP Posted: Tue Jul 13 2010, 03:36 hrs London:

Acute poverty prevails in eight Indian states, a new ‘multidimensional’ measure of global poverty has said. The measure claims that the eight states put together account for more poor people than those present in the 26 poorest African nations combined.

The new measure, called the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), was developed and applied by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) with the United Nation Development Programme’s (UNDP) support. It will be featured in the forthcoming 20th anniversary edition of the UNDP Human Development Report.

The measure reveals there are more ‘MPI poor’ people (421 million) in eight Indian states — Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, UP and West Bengal — than in the 26 poorest African countries combined (410 million).

MPI gives a multidimensional picture of people living in poverty and is expected to help target development resources more effectively, its creators said. The MPI supplants the Human Poverty Index, which had been included in the annual Human Development Reports since 1997.

The 2010 UNDP Human Development Report will be published in late October, but research findings from the MPI were made available Monday at a policy forum in London and on the websites of OPHI and the UNDP Human Development Report.

MPI assesses a range of factors or ‘deprivations’: from education to health outcomes to assets and services. Taken together, these factors provide a fuller portrait of acute poverty than simple income measures. The measure reveals the nature and extent of poverty in the household, region, nation and at an international level. This new approach has been adapted for use in Mexico, and is now being considered by Chile and Colombia.

Public Petition of the Nuclear Liability Bill

Hi,

This is exciting! Along with 187,759 people I signed a petition asking the Prime Minister to hold a public consultation before taking a decision on the nuclear liability bill. These petitions were delivered to the Standing Committee looking at the bill and now they have decided to hold a public consultation.

The bill in its current form lets the foreign corporations get away by paying a meagre amount in case of a nuclear accident in India. The major chunk of the expenses will be borne by the Indian tax payers. But now we have a chance to change this bill and make it stronger.

Greenpeace, an NGO working on this issue, has prepared an open letter which states the changes required in the bill. Just like the petition, this letter will stand a chance of being considered if lots of us sign it. We have less than two weeks to change the bill and prevent another Bhopal in the making.

I have already added my signature.

Can you add your signature to this letter?

http://www.greenpeace.org/india/change-the-liability-bill

Thanks!

Rakesh Ranjan