Kerala claims elimination of extreme poverty, first Indian state

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday told the state Assembly that Kerala had become the first Indian state to eliminate extreme poverty, announcing the milestone during a special session in Thiruvananthapuram on Kerala Piravi Day, November 1. The government said the outcome was the result of a four‑year, community led campaign launched in 2021 under the Extreme Poverty Eradication Project that identified and rehabilitated 64,006 families, comprising 103,099 individuals.

Officials said the identification process combined a large ground‑level survey by Kudumbashree and local self‑government institutions with inputs from ASHA and anganwadi workers and ward‑level committees. Families were assessed on four deprivation indicators: food security, safe housing, basic income and health status. The government described the response as microplanning tailored to each household, integrating housing, livelihood support, health care and food assistance. Government figures indicate more than Rs 1,000 crore has been spent on the programme since 2021.

Detailed results supplied by officials include construction or renovation of over 10,900 houses, provision of land to 439 landless...