In 2021, in Telangana state a pilot survey was carried out to establish whether the consensual approach could be used in this context and what it added to the measures conventional used. Respondents were asked about whether a series of items and activities, ranging from two pairs of all-weather shoes to attending important social functions were essential for adults and children and whether they had them or could take part. The survey found high levels of endorsement for a wide range of items such as three meals a day, school uniforms and equipment, health facilities and transport access as well as the ability to afford clothing, social activities and savings. It also found similar levels of consensus over a wide range of necessities across religion, location, caste and education.

The results underscore the importance of dimensions and specific deprivations that are not entirely captured by existing monetary and multidimensional poverty approaches used in India. This reinforces the call for child-centric methodologies such as United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF’s) Multiple Overlapping Deprivation Analysis (MODA), which distinguish between age groups and their evolving needs. 

For further details see: 'Multidimensional Adult and Child Poverty in India—Establishing Consensus About Socially Perceived Necessities for a New Measure of Poverty' by Marco Pomati, Shailen Nandy and Bheemeshwar Reddy, published in the Indian Journal of Human Development, 2024