How Kerala ended extreme poverty: Former Kerala CS Sarada Muraleedharan shares inside story

Kerala has made history as India’s first state to eliminate extreme poverty — a milestone achieved through data-driven surveys, decentralised planning, and community-led welfare initiatives. The announcement by the Pinarayi Vijayan government, however, has sparked debate over its criteria and beneficiaries.

In a conversation with Onmanorama, former Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan, who helped conceive and implement the project, explains how Kerala’s multidimensional approach made this possible.

A legacy of welfare reform
“At Independence, Kerala was among the country’s poorest states, with over 60% of its population below the poverty line. Decades of progressive policies — universal food security, education, healthcare, and land reforms — drastically reduced poverty levels,” says Sarada Muraleedharan.

“Yet, some families remained excluded from regular welfare nets. To address this, Kerala launched the State Poverty Eradication Mission (Kudumbashree) in 1998 and the Ashraya programme in 2002 for destitute rehabilitation. Both empowered communities to identify and support the most vulnerable — the bedridden, abandoned, and chronically ill.

“Ashraya continued for years, but there was a limitation — the responsibility largely fell on Kudumbashree networks. Poverty eradication, however, is a responsibility that should rest with the state and society, not just a collective of poor women. So, in 2021, the LDF government launched the Extreme Poverty Eradication Project (EPEP) as a whole-of-government mission.”

Defining and identifying extreme poverty
Extreme poverty was defined as the absence of four essentials — food, safe housing, basic income, and health. According to NITI Aayog’s 2023 Multidimensional Poverty Index, Kerala already had the lowest poverty rate in India — just 0.55%, compared to Bihar’s 33.76%.

Under the Navakeralam Mission, the government conducted a Multidimensional Poverty Identification Survey covering 64.4 lakh families. Of these, 64,006 households were found to be in extreme poverty.

Ward-level committees — including ASHA and Anganwadi workers — identified families based on chronic vulnerability caused by illness, disability, old age, or social isolation. Groups such as tribal, coastal, and migrant communities received special attention.

How were individuals and families identified under the EPEP?
“The key challenge,” the former chief secretary says, “was ensuring that only those truly in need were identified. We excluded everyone already covered by welfare schemes such as Ashraya or Antyodaya.”

Drawing from lessons during the pandemic, the government relied on ward-level committees — including ASHA and Anganwadi workers — who had intimate knowledge of local communities.

Extreme poverty was defined as a chronic inability to meet basic needs due to age, illness, disability, or social isolation. Specific vulnerabilities were also considered, including those of tribal and coastal populations, slum dwellers, migrant labourers, and people with HIV/AIDS.

Indicators were developed through community consultations to capture these nuances.

Were pilot projects conducted before the full rollout?
“Yes. We piloted the indicators across diverse regions — tribal, coastal, and urban — to test both their robustness and the participatory process.”

These pilots, led by the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) with support from poverty experts, ensured transparency and community involvement. The goal was to avoid nepotism or bias in identification.

How did the government ensure that all identified families were supported?
After focus group discussions, every identified household underwent a super check before final approval. The intervention followed a three-pronged strategy:

Quick entitlements – Aadhaar, voter ID, ration cards, MNREGS registration, social security pensions, and health insurance.
Infrastructure support – housing, electricity, sanitation, and water supply.
Livelihood and health support – food, chronic illness care, and assistance through palliative or geriatric services.

“This was not a new welfare scheme,” Sarada stresses, “but a priority convergence of all existing government services. Every department received the database of identified families and was made accountable for their follow-up.”

The programme was monitored at the highest level — by the Chief Minister and relevant ministers — to ensure coordination and transparency.

How will Kerala sustain this achievement?
To prevent families from slipping back into poverty, the government developed a digital Management Information System (MIS) to track every beneficiary and monitor the continuity of support.

“Some interventions, like housing, are one-time,” Sarada explains. “But others — like healthcare, food assistance, or elderly care — require ongoing monitoring.”

Regular reviews are held at both the departmental and local government levels. “Poverty eradication,” she says, “is not a one-time mission. It’s a continuous process. Local governments now have the framework to identify new vulnerable families and bring them under support periodically.”

As Sarada Muraleedharan concludes, “This is not just a government achievement; it’s a collective social effort built on Kerala’s long tradition of inclusivity and human development.”