How Kerala became free from extreme poverty

On November 1, celebrated as Kerala Piravi or Kerala Day, Kerala will complete 69 years of statehood. This year, the occasion carries a special significance as Kerala will be officially declared free from extreme poverty, becoming the first state in India and only the second region in the world, after China, to achieve this landmark.

It also marks the culmination of a four-year mission to identify, understand, and act that has led to the eradication of extreme poverty in the state.

According to NITI Aayog, those living in extreme poverty now make up less than 0.55% of the population, the lowest in the country.

Government data shows that reaching this population required a concerted effort as many among “the invisible poor” had previously fallen through social safety nets, making them difficult to identify.

In 2021, Kerala launched the Extreme Poverty Eradication Project (EPEP), also known as the Athidaridrya Nirmarjana Project, to identify and support individuals and families affected by extreme poverty. This demographic remained outside the safety net of the existing welfare schemes.

EPEP used an evidence-based methodology to identify the poorest and most marginalised households, using critical and very critical deprivation indices, developed through multiple trials and field tests to capture the complex realities of severe poverty.

The approach was both scientific and empathetic and would ensure that no household in the state remained unseen or unsupported.

The identification exercise, rooted in community participation, was led by local self-governments, and supported by ASHAs, anganwadi workers, members of Kudumbashree (women’s network), activist groups, and residential associations. Around 14 lakh people participated in mapping and validating data.

After rigorous field validation, super checks, and final confirmation at the grama and ward sabhas, a total of 1,03,099 individuals from 64,006 families across 1,032 local bodies were identified as living in extreme poverty, assessed based on major stress factors—food security, health, income, and housing.

Once identified, each family became the focus of a customised micro-plan, created after in-depth consultations with the households themselves. The micro-plans were then codified and integrated into local self-government sub-plans, ensuring coordination between departments and consistent follow-up.

In the initial phase, the state prioritised providing food and healthcare for every identified family. Through EPEP, 21,263 families received vital documents such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, electoral IDs, and UDID cards for persons with disabilities, along with access to health insurance and social security pensions.

EPEP also followed a data-driven approach: all micro-plans were uploaded to a digital Management Information System (MIS) that tracked the delivery of services and monitored how each family’s needs were met by the relevant departments and local bodies.

Out of the 64,006 families identified in the beginning of the project, 4,421 families (single-member households) had passed away during the time, 261 families had migrated and could not be located, 47 families were consolidated, and the remaining 59,277 families have been rehabilitated to make the state officially extreme poverty-free as of November 1.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also emphasised the importance of including infrastructure and welfare side by side as part of the EPEP.

In an interview with Kerala Calling, published by the state’s Information & Public Relations Department, he said, “Housing through the LIFE mission and welfare schemes such as healthcare, food distribution, educational assistance, and employment opportunities through the 'Ujjivanam' scheme have been given equal importance. Along with this, the government has prioritised development of road networks, water metro, renovation of KSRTC, etc. We have a holistic approach towards development.”

The success of EPEP can be attributed to three factors—the efficiency of local state government departments (LSDGs) in ensuring last mile delivery; utilising the 45-lakh strong women network of Kudumbashree members; and integrating it with ongoing welfare schemes.

While the declaration of the end of extreme poverty marks an important milestone, the state will have to ensure that it is sustainable. It will require continuous monitoring of welfare, livelihood schemes, and social protection to ensure there is no relapse of these families back into extreme poverty.

However, Kerala deserves recognition and must be lauded for achieving this historic milestone through policy, data-driven interventions, and community participation.