As per the estimates of Planning Commission, which State had the highest number of poor people living below the poverty line in 2011-12?

Uttar Pradesh is correct. The Planning Commission's estimates for 2011-12, released in July 2013 using the Tendulkar methodology, put the national poor at about 269.8 million, or 21.9 per cent of the population. UP alone accounted for roughly 60 million of them, the largest share of any state, even though its poverty ratio was around 30 per cent.

• Bihar had the highest poverty ratio, around 34 per cent, but a smaller total population, so its headcount was about 34 million, below UP.
• Madhya Pradesh had roughly 29 million poor. Its ratio was also high, which is why it is often confused with the answer.
• Maharashtra had about 21 million poor despite being economically advanced, because its large population is spread across a lower poverty ratio.

The core concept is the difference between poverty ratio (headcount percentage) and the absolute number of poor. For Mains GS-II and GS-III, this matters when judging welfare targeting: a state can have a moderate rate yet still hold the largest number of poor. Note that the Planning Commission was replaced by NITI Aayog in 2015, and the Rangarajan Committee later proposed a higher poverty line, which raised the 2011-12 totals, though UP remained the highest.

Trap: candidates pick Bihar because it has the highest poverty ratio, confusing the ratio with the absolute number.