The article is an attempt at a comprehensive understanding of regional as well as disaggregated (district-wise) patterns of poverty prevailing among social and religious groups in Uttar Pradesh by using unit level records of the 61st (2004-05) and 68th (2011-12) rounds of NSSO's Consumption Expenditure Survey. It identifies the critical regions in UP, where poverty among social and religious groups is unfairly distributed. Estimates reveal that though poverty in the state reduced by 11.50% points between 2004-05 and 2011-12, it remained quite high among Scheduled Castes (40.87%) and Muslims (34.88%), particularly in the central, southern and eastern regions of the state. The study also attempts to gauge the causes for the unequal distribution of poverty among social and religious groups in the state and goes on to suggest that region specific and group specific development programmes may be more effective in alleviating poverty among social and religious groups.
