On 1 November 2025 - coinciding with Kerala Piravi - Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan declared that Kerala has become the first Indian state to eradicate extreme poverty. The landmark status follows the launch in 2021 of the state’s Extreme Poverty Eradication Project (EPEP), which conducted a comprehensive survey identifying over 64,000 families facing severe deprivation in food, shelter, health, and income. Under micro-plans tailored to each family, the government provided housing, land, healthcare aid, livelihood support and documentation. The state also reports a multidimensional poverty index (MPI) of just 0.55 percent - the lowest in India.  While the declaration is heralded as a “birth of a new era” for Kerala’s inclusive development, some tribal groups and activists have raised questions about lingering deprivation among marginalised communities. Nonetheless, the achievement marks a milestone in social governance and sets a model of grassroots mobilisation and welfare integration.