New Delhi: Since 2014, India’s welfare architecture has been guided by the principle of Antyodaya—ensuring the upliftment and development of every person in the country. Over the past eleven years, crores of previously deprived households have gained access to essential amenities such as tap water, electricity, toilets, housing, healthcare, clean cooking fuel, insurance, and digital services for the first time.
The 2023 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), released by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), affirmed a significant decline across all ten indicators of multidimensional poverty in India. These achievements reflect a new era of governance—rooted in equity, backed by data, and powered by the resolve to serve every citizen.
Almost 15.59 crore rural households now have tap water connections; 100% Har Ghar Jal in 8 states and 3 UTs. Nearly 4 crore houses completed; 92.35 lakh delivered under PMAY-U, with over 90 lakh owned by women. 2.86 crore households electrified under SAUBHAGYA, 22.6 hours average rural supply. Swachh Bharat Mission: 12 crore household toilets built; 5.64 lakh villages declared ODF Plus.Ayushman Bharat covers 55 crore people; benefits extended to all citizens 70+ under Ayushman Vay Vandana.
Free ration to 81 crore beneficiaries, Rs 11.80 lakh crore outlay till 2028. Over 10.33 crore LPG connections provided under PM Ujjwala Yojana. 68 lakh loans to street vendors under PM SVANidhi; 76.28 lakh vendors formalized. 1.57 lakh startups recognized; 118 unicorns. 2.37 million artisans registered in PM Vishwakarma. Under eShram Portal: 30.86 crore unorganised workers registered; 53.75% women. Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra reached 2.6 lakh gram panchayats, 4,000 ULBs to ensure saturation of welfare schemes.
India’s Triumph in Combating Poverty
According to the World Bank’s Spring 2025 Poverty and Equity Brief, the nation has lifted 171 million people out of extreme poverty over the past decade. The share of the population living on less than $2.15 per day fell sharply—from 16.2% in 2011–12 to just 2.3% in 2022–23.
Rising Standards of Living
In rural India, the average Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) has risen from Rs1,430 in 2011–12 to Rs 4,122 in 2023–24—a nearly threefold increase. Similarly, urban MPCE increased from Rs2,630 to Rs6,996 during the same period.
Clean Water, Healthier Lives: Jal Jeevan Mission
The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal redefined access and dignity. More than 15.59 crore rural households now have tap water connections. Over 12 crore of these were added in just the past five years. Tribal and aspirational districts have seen substantial gains, with 7,275. Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups villages and 25,962 tribal villages now fully saturated.
Ayushman Bharat
Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) offers free health insurance coverage to 55 crore Indians, making it the world’s largest health assurance scheme. The government, further, launched Ayushman Vay Vandana scheme for extending this coverage to all citizens aged 70 and above, regardless of income. The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission complements this with over 77 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts, linking citizens to seamless healthcare services.
Sanitation and Swachh Bharat
Swachh Bharat Mission was introduced to eliminate open defecation, improve solid waste management, and promote cleanliness and hygiene across India, aiming to improve public health and ensure dignity, especially for women and the poor. So far, the Swachh Bharat Mission has delivered over 12 crore household toilets across the country.
PM Mudra Yojana
The Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana provides access to institutional finance up to Rs 20 lakh to micro and small business units for income generating activities like manufacturing, trading, services, and agriculture related activities. Key highlights includes more than 52.77 crore loan accounts have been extended since the inception of the scheme. Sanctioned amount of Rs. 34.11 lakh crore Disbursed amount of Rs. 33.33 lakh crore. More than half of these have been allocated to SC/ST/ OBC entrepreneurs. About 68% of loan accounts have been given to women entrepreneurs.
Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra
To ensure these initiatives reached every citizen, implementation mechanisms like the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra were launched to track progress and improve last-mile delivery. The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra is a government initiative being undertaken across the country, to raise awareness about and track the implementation of flagship central schemes. This Yatra has reached 2.6 lakh gram panchayats and more than 4,000 urban local bodies in the country and aims to achieve the target of taking public welfare schemes to 100% saturation.
Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP)
Parallel to monitoring, the Aspirational Districts Programme brought focused attention to India’s most backward regions, demonstrating the commitment to equitable development. The Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) is a transformative initiative aimed at accelerating the development of 112 relatively backward and remote districts across India.
