Extreme Poverty: Kerala Becomes India’s First State to End It

Kerala has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first state in India to officially eliminate extreme poverty. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced this success in the state Assembly on November 1, 2025, which is also Kerala’s Formation Day (Kerala Piravi).

This declaration is the result of a comprehensive four-year initiative launched immediately after the state government took office in 2021.

Extreme Poverty: Kerala Becomes India’s First State to End It

Key Details of the Achievement

• Historic Announcement: Chief Minister Vijayan called the day a “new dawn” in Kerala’s development journey, fulfilling a key promise to create a “Nava Kerala” (New Kerala) built on social justice.
• Implementation: The mission was the very first decision of the second Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet. It was coordinated by the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) and the Department of Local Self-Government.
• Scale of Success: Through sustained micro-level planning and training over four lakh people, the state successfully lifted 64,006 families out of extreme poverty.
• Pilot Projects: The mission first began with pilot projects in Wadakkanchery Municipality and the Anchuthengu and Thirunelli Grama Panchayats before being expanded across the state.

National Context and Kerala’s Model

• Significance: Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. B. Rajesh highlighted that Kerala is now the only state in India—and only the second region globally after China—to declare itself free from extreme poverty.
• Governance Model: Kerala’s success is a result of its unique governance model, which includes:
  • Decentralised planning (power given to local bodies).
  • Strong public participation.
  • Effective social welfare schemes like Kudumbashree and Life Mission.

Experts suggest Kerala’s model, focusing on targeted micro-interventions and social infrastructure investment, can be an inspiration for other Indian states.

Question & Answer

Q1. Kerala became the first Indian state to eliminate extreme poverty on which specific date?
(a) August 15, 2025
(b) November 1, 2025
(c) January 26, 2026
(d) May 20, 2024
Answer: November 1, 2025

Explanation: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced the achievement on November 1, 2025, which coincided with Kerala’s Formation Day (Kerala Piravi).

Q2. Which two institutions primarily coordinated Kerala’s extreme poverty eradication mission?
(a) Finance Department and Planning Board
(b) NITI Aayog and Kudumbashree
(c) KILA and the Department of Local Self-Government
(d) Health Department and Social Justice Department
Answer: KILA and the Department of Local Self-Government

Explanation: The initiative was implemented under the coordination of the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) and the Department of Local Self-Government.

Q3. Approximately how many families were successfully lifted out of extreme poverty during this mission?
(a) 40,000 families
(b) 64,000 families
(c) 80,000 families
(d) Over 1,00,000 families
Answer: 64,000 families

Explanation: The state successfully lifted 64,006 families out of extreme poverty through micro-level planning.

Q4. Kerala’s achievement is viewed as demonstrating the success of its model which prioritizes:
(a) Centralized planning and private sector investment
(b) Industrial development and export promotion
(c) Decentralised planning and strong public participation
(d) Only schemes focused on agricultural subsidies
Answer: Decentralised planning and strong public participation

Explanation: Experts view the success as demonstrating the effectiveness of Kerala’s governance model, which integrates decentralised planning and strong public participation.

Q5. According to the article, Kerala is the second region globally to declare freedom from extreme poverty, after which country?
(a) Brazil
(b) India
(c) China
(d) Vietnam
Answer: China

Explanation: Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. B. Rajesh stated that Kerala is the second region globally after China to declare freedom from extreme poverty.

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