Estimation of District Income and Poverty in Indian States

For the preparation of statewise Human Development Reports (HDR), difficult issues related to income and poverty estimates at the district level first need to be sorted out. While norms for national accounts and macro data systems are set by the Planning Commission, the need for information based on local understanding has gained further urgency with the setting up of District Planning Committees in all states. HDR computing efforts have thrown up many issues of data - both of a conceptual nature and also of availability. This paper looks at these constraints as they were discussed at a workshop and how participants sought to address these in connection with income and poverty estimates.