E-Paper
DFID in India
Over 400 million people in India live below the internationally agreed poverty line (living on less than US $1 per day). This is one in three of the world?s poorest. Reducing poverty in India is an essential step towards ending poverty world-wide. The Government of India is strongly committed to reducing poverty. That is why DFID is working with the Government and other organisations towards this aim.
Why is DFID Working in India?
Over 400 million people in India live below the internationally agreed poverty line (living on less than US $1 per day). This is one in three of the world’s poorest. Reducing poverty in India is an essential step towards ending poverty world-wide. The Government of India is strongly committed to reducing poverty. That is why DFID (Department for International Development) working with the Government and other organisations towards this aim.
Where are we working in India?
We have projects and programmes in many states in India. We have a core programme of strategically focused assistance at the national level. We are also working in close partnership with four of India’s states: Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal.
Who are our partners?
Our primary partners are the Union and State governments. The overall framework for our work is agreed with the Union government and a significant number of our activities support Union ministries. But the majority of our work covers areas which are the responsibility of State governments.
Other partners include members of the private sector, NGOs, civil society and the research community in India.
We are keen to work in a co-ordinated way with other development agencies, including other government donors and multinational organisations. These include the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, UNICEF, other United Nations agencies and the European Commission. We believe that all donors should be working together coherently to support the poverty-reduction efforts of developing country governments.
We work closely with colleagues in other UK government departments, including those based at the British High Commission in New Delhi. We also work to protect (?) the interests of developing countries in other UK government departments – for example with regard to trade and the environment.
Can poverty really be eliminated from India?
Yes. More people have escaped poverty in India in the past 50 years than in the previous 500 years. There are many other positive indicators of progress. On average, people in India live nearly twice as long today as they did 50 years ago. Infant mortality has fallen by two-thirds. More than 60% of the population can now read and write, compared to 20% at Independence.
