APSC Mains Enrichment Notes
Indian Economy
The Thali Index is a new way of looking at poverty through food affordability rather than abstract calorie norms. It takes the cost of a basic Indian meal — rice or roti, dal, and vegetables — and uses it as a practical unit to measure hunger and nutrition.
In 2023-24, the average cost of a home-cooked thali was around ₹30. Yet, researchers found that 40% of rural Indians and 10% of urban Indians could not afford two thalis a day. This shows a serious gap between income and basic food security.
By contrast, reports from SBI estimated rural poverty at just 4.86% and urban poverty at 4.09% in FY24. The World Bank pegged “extreme poverty” at 2.8% for rural India and 1.1% for urban India in 2022-23.
This stark difference highlights the limits of income-based and calorie-based poverty measures. The Thali Index captures the reality of food insecurity more directly and suggests that poverty alleviation policies should focus not only on income but also on ensuring nutritional adequacy.
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