Kerala's Model for Eradicating Extreme Poverty through Decentralized Planning and Micro-Plans
Kerala has achieved a milestone by significantly reducing extreme poverty through its meticulously planned Extreme Poverty Eradication Programme (EPEP). According to NITI Aayog’s National Multidimensional Poverty Index (2023), Kerala is the least impoverished state with only 0.55% of its population being multidimensionally poor. The state's approach involved identifying 64,006 extremely poor families through trained enumerators and Kudumbashree workers. Instead of uniform solutions, custom-made micro-plans were prepared for each family, addressing specific needs like food, health, and housing. The state has now launched EPEP 2.0 to prevent relapse and ensure the sustainability of these gains.
Key Points
- Kerala has the lowest multidimensional poverty rate in India at 0.55%, significantly below the national average of 14.96%.
- The Extreme Poverty Eradication Programme (EPEP) utilizes decentralized planning and community participation via the Kudumbashree network.
- The program focuses on 'micro-plans' tailored to the specific needs of individual families rather than generic welfare schemes.
- EPEP 2.0 has been launched to ensure that no new households fall into extreme poverty and to sustain current developmental gains.
Exam Facts
- NITI Aayog’s National Multidimensional Poverty Index (2023) ranks Kerala as the least impoverished state.
- Only 0.55% of Kerala's population is multidimensionally poor compared to the national average of 14.96%.
- The EPEP identified 64,006 extremely poor families comprising 1,03,099 individuals.
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