Collaborative Efforts Key to Eastern India's Development

The eastern region of India presents a paradox, being commonly characterised as a region abundant in resources yet plagued by poverty. It is imperative that governmental support, both at the Central and state levels, be directed towards this region to foster a conducive environment for business. Business growth alone can break down forever the persistent barrier of poverty in this region.

Despite the implementation of various social development initiatives by the Central government, such as the Prime Minister Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY), Anna Yojna (PMGKAY), Kalyan Rozgaar Abhiyaan (GKRA), Atal Pension Yojana (APY), PM Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY) and PM Ujjwala Yojna (PMUY), the performance and narrative of economic development and poverty alleviation differs significantly from state to state.

Riches of the Eastern Region

Encompassing the states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, the eastern region unfolds a tapestry of opportunities and challenges. As industrialisation gains momentum across these states, the potential for a reduction in unemployment and poverty becomes apparent. The economic landscape is characterised by thriving sectors such as jute, rice, sugarcane leather, steel and mining, which serve as the backbone for its development. Despite these promising prospects, it is noteworthy that, according to the Niti Aayog’s multidimensional poverty index (MPI), a significant portion of the population faces economic hardships. Bihar, the state with the highest MPI value in National Family Health Survey-4 (2015–16), experienced the most rapid absolute reduction in MPI value, with the percentage of multidimensional poor decreasing from 51.89% to 33.76% in 2019–21. Uttar Pradesh too saw significant reductions in MPI value, with the proportion of multidimensional poor in NFHS-5 (2019–21) being 22.93%. Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of people, 3.43 crore, exiting multidimensional poverty in the last five years, followed by Bihar (2.25 crore).