Published Paper Details:

This study thoroughly investigates poverty throughout all 11 blocks of the Kaimur district in Bihar, looking beyond income-based metrics. While data from the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-21) and secondary sources are used to assess poverty in terms of quality of living, education, and health, indicators of poverty in terms of health include access to basic utilities, cleanliness, school attendance, and nutrition. There are significant variations within the district, as seen by our block-level estimates. For instance, rural blocks like Chainpur and Bhagwanpur had much higher multidimensional poverty headcount ratios (58.7% and 56.3%, respectively) than semi-urban blocks like Bhabua. The statistics show that there is extreme poverty in a number of places: 38% of adults lack a primary school diploma, 41% of children under the age of five have stunted development, and 62% of households lack access to clean cooking fuel. New geographical trends show that there is a greater percentage of the population living in poverty in the western blocks that border Uttar Pradesh, and that worse infrastructure is associated with lower agricultural output. According to the report, which highlights the compounding effect of caste dynamics, multidimensional poverty is 1.8 times higher among Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe groups than among general categories. Given that households with a woman as the primary provider had 12% higher deprivation scores on health and education measures, gender disparity is a serious reason for concern. These findings challenge conventional district poverty estimates that are based just on income and instead reveal more complex patterns of deprivation that call for particular government actions. Finally, using the data at hand, the research makes recommendations on how to lessen poverty in particular blocks. It emphasizes the necessity of adopting a comprehensive strategy to reduce the nutrition gap, upgrade educational infrastructure, and carry out government programs down to the last mile. This micro-level research provides authorities with comprehensive information to help them distribute cash more effectively in one of Bihar's poorest districts.