2025, Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part G

author(s)
Gopal Kumar and Alok Pratap Singh

abstract
This study develops a comprehensive Block-Level Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) for Muzaffarpur District, Bihar, integrating spatial and socio-economic indicators. Using the Alkire-Foster methodology, the analysis evaluates deprivation across key dimensions: education, health, living standards, assets, housing quality, and access to basic services, based on Census 2011, NFHS-5, and block-wise administrative data from the Government of Bihar. The research constructs deprivation scores, calculates headcount ratios, and estimates poverty severity across 16 blocks, offering a granular and policy-relevant understanding of inequality within Muzaffarpur. GIS-based spatial visualisation highlights intra-district disparities, revealing substantial poverty concentrations in flood-prone, peri-urban, and infrastructure-deficient blocks. The results provide an empirical foundation for targeted interventions under schemes such as PMAY-G, JJM, NRLM, and district-level planning frameworks.