Speculation without data

Poverty estimates need govt surveys to resume

Two recent working papers published by the Bretton Woods organisations — the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) — have weighed in on the debate surrounding India’s record on poverty reduction. While the papers do not represent the official view of either organisation, they do nevertheless serve as an entry point for discussion into India’s long-term success at poverty reduction and how recent events, including the pandemic, may have affected that effort. The World Bank paper, titled “Poverty In India Has Declined Over The Last Decade But Not As Much As Previously Thought”, was authored by Sutirtha Sinha