CM Pinarayi Vijayan Declares Kerala India’s First Extreme Poverty-Free State in Assembly

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced in the Legislative Assembly that Kerala has become the first state in India to eradicate extreme poverty. The declaration was made under Rule 300 during a special session of the Assembly held on Kerala Piravi Day.

“Every year, we celebrate Kerala Piravi with joy. But this year’s Kerala Piravi marks the dawn of a new era for the people of Kerala. It will be remembered in history because we have succeeded in transforming our state into the first in India to be free of extreme poverty,” the Chief Minister said.

The elimination of extreme poverty was one of the first major decisions taken by the new Cabinet that assumed office in 2021. It represented the beginning of fulfilling one of the key promises made to the people during the Assembly election. Within two months of taking office, the government launched the process of identifying families living in extreme poverty.

The initiative was carried out under the leadership of the Department of Local Self-Government and coordinated by the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA). The process involved extensive public participation, with legislators, elected representatives of local bodies, Kudumbashree workers, volunteers, and officials working together to locate such families.

By involving people from all walks of life and incorporating ideas that emerged from their collective inputs, the state began implementing this historic project to identify beneficiary families. The pilot phase of the extreme poverty identification programme was conducted in the Wadakkanchery Municipality and the Anchuthengu and Thirunelli Grama Panchayats. After the successful completion of the pilot, the project was expanded across the entire state.

According to official data, as of September 15, 2025, 96.13% of identified families — 55,861 out of 64,006 — had been fully lifted out of extreme poverty. The remaining 2,148 families were set to cross the threshold by October 31, 2025, ensuring that Kerala would become 100% free from extreme poverty by November 1, 2025.

The Chief Minister said this milestone stands as a testament to Kerala’s model of inclusive growth, achieved through coordinated local-level action and the active involvement of the people themselves.