Death of a child or adolescent in the household.
Explanation
The National Multidimensional Poverty Index (NMPI), released by NITI Aayog, measures poverty across three equally weighted dimensions: Health, Education, and Standard of Living. These dimensions are represented by 12 specific indicators. The Health dimension comprises two indicators: Nutrition and Child & Adolescent Mortality.Analysis of the Indicator
The 'Child-Adolescent Mortality' indicator is defined to capture premature deaths within a household.- Definition of Deprivation: A household is considered deprived if any child or adolescent under 18 years of age has died in the household in the five-year period preceding the survey.
- Comparison with Options:
- Death of a child below five years in the household. is incorrect: Limiting the criteria to children below five years refers to Under-5 Mortality, which is a standard health metric but narrower than the NMPI criteria (which goes up to 18 years).
- Death of a child or adolescent in the household. is correct: It accurately reflects the inclusion of both children and adolescents (0–18 years) in the mortality indicator.
- High infant mortality in the locality. is incorrect: The MPI is a micro-level index calculated based on household deprivation, not aggregate locality statistics.
- Death due to child malnutrition. is incorrect: The indicator considers the occurrence of death itself, regardless of the specific medical cause (e.g., malnutrition).
Key Takeaway: Under the NMPI, the mortality indicator is not restricted to infants or under-5 children; it considers the death of any individual under 18 years of age within the household during the preceding five years.