Question : The organization responsible for estimating poverty in India is:
Option 1: Reserve Bank of India
Option 2: Ministry of Finance
Option 3: Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog)
Option 4: Central Statistical Office
Correct Answer: Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog)
Solution : The correct answer is (c) Planning Commission (now NITI Aayog)
The Planning Commission was responsible for formulating India's five-year plans and monitoring their implementation. It also used to estimate poverty in India, using data from the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). The NSSO conducts surveys on household consumption expenditure, which is used to calculate the poverty line.
In 2014, the Planning Commission was replaced by NITI Aayog. NITI Aayog is still responsible for estimating poverty in India. The latest poverty estimates were released by NITI Aayog in 2019. The estimates showed that the poverty ratio in India had declined from 21.9 % in 2011-12 to 17.9 % in 2017-18.
