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Economic think tank National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) in its research paper has said that poverty in India is estimated to have declined to 8.5 per cent in 2022-24 from 21.2 per cent in 2011-12, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. 

The paper said economic growth and poverty decline create a dynamic climate that requires nimble social protection programmes. It also said traditional strategies designed to address chronic poverty in a large segment of society may be less effective as accidents of birth become less important than accidents of life. It noted that ensuring social protection systems keep up with the pace of social transformation will be a key challenge for India as it strives towards equitable development.

According to the paper, during an era of economic growth, when opportunities increase, the long-term determinants of poverty may decline while accidents of life associated with natural disasters, illness and death, and changes in occupation-specific opportunities may become more important. Accidents of birth are more likely to affect long-term chronic poverty, accidents of life may have a transitory effect on moving in and out of poverty.