Yet another shining example of Kerala model of development – mronline.org

Report on Kerala’s Extreme Poverty Eradication Initiative and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: A Commitment to SDG 1

The state of Kerala is on course to achieve a significant milestone in sustainable development by November 1, 2025, with its plan to completely eradicate extreme poverty. This initiative, spearheaded by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, directly addresses the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 1 (No Poverty). It exemplifies a targeted strategy to ensure that the benefits of development and welfare reach the most marginalized populations, embodying the core SDG principle of “leaving no one behind.”

Strategic Framework for Poverty Eradication

Identification and Targeting

In alignment with SDG Target 1.2 (reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women, and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions), the government initiated a comprehensive process to identify individuals in extreme deprivation.

• A statewide survey was conducted from July 2021, engaging over 1.4 million people in the identification exercise.
• The process involved field-level validation, super checks, and final confirmation in local governance bodies (grama/ward sabhas).
• The survey identified 64,006 families, comprising 1,03,099 individuals, living in conditions of extreme poverty across 1,032 Local Self Government Institutions.

Micro-Planning for Sustainable Upliftment

To ensure a sustainable exit from poverty, individualized micro-plans were developed for each identified family. This tailored approach categorizes interventions into three phases:

1. Short-Term Programmes: Provision of immediate services and benefits to address urgent needs.
2. Medium-Term Programmes: Schemes requiring three months to two years for completion, focusing on stabilization.
3. Long-Term Programmes: Initiatives designed for sustained well-being, including skill training, educational support, livelihood creation, and housing assistance.

Implementation Across Multiple SDGs

Addressing Basic Needs: A Multi-Goal Approach

The initial phase of the programme focused on securing fundamental rights and services, contributing to several SDGs simultaneously.

• SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions): Essential documentation, including Aadhaar, ration cards, voter IDs, and health insurance, was provided to 21,263 families to ensure access to social protection systems and legal identity for all (Target 16.9).
• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): Food security was guaranteed through the distribution of food kits and the provision of freshly cooked meals via Kudumbashree networks, directly addressing Target 2.1 to end hunger.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Identified individuals received assured medical treatment, necessary medicines, and access to health insurance, contributing to Target 3.8 for universal health coverage.

Building Long-Term Resilience and Reducing Inequalities

The government’s long-term strategy focuses on creating opportunities and secure living conditions, aligning with SDGs for economic growth, education, and sustainable communities.

• SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): Through the LIFE Mission, significant efforts were made to provide safe and dignified housing (Target 11.1). An expenditure of Rs 473 crore was allocated for this purpose, with approximately 30 acres of land identified for distribution to the landless. Over the last nine years, this mission has resulted in 450,000 new houses and the distribution of over 400,000 land title deeds.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) & SDG 4 (Quality Education): The programme incorporates special income-generating schemes, skill training, and support for entrepreneurship and education to ensure sustainable livelihoods and break the intergenerational cycle of poverty.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): By specifically targeting the most deprived individuals and families, the entire initiative is a direct measure to reduce inequalities and promote social and economic inclusion (Target 10.2).

Conclusion: A Milestone in Sustainable Development

By November 1, 2025, Kerala aims to have achieved a comprehensive eradication of extreme poverty, setting a benchmark for other states. This achievement is not a one-time event but the result of a continuous mission integrating welfare and development. The long-term success and sustainability of this model will depend on the collective responsibility of the state’s society, reflecting the collaborative spirit of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 1: No Poverty

• The entire article is centered on Kerala’s initiative to “completely eradicated extreme poverty” by November 1, 2025. This directly aligns with the primary goal of SDG 1. The text highlights the government’s commitment to the “poor and the marginalised” and its comprehensive strategy to identify and support individuals in extreme deprivation.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• The article mentions specific measures to ensure food security for the identified families. It states that “Food security was ensured through the provision of food kits and freshly cooked meals through Kudumbashree networks,” which connects directly to the goal of ending hunger.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The initiative described includes significant health-related support. The article notes that “health insurance were promptly issued or made available” and that individuals suffering from health problems received “assured medical treatment and necessary medicines,” linking the program to the goal of ensuring healthy lives.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• The guiding principle of the program, “no person is negligible; not a single individual is to be disregarded or left behind,” is a core concept of SDG 10. The focus on ensuring that the “benefits of development and welfare should reach every section of and every individual in the society” is a direct effort to reduce inequalities.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• The article details efforts to provide housing, a key component of sustainable communities. It mentions the government’s mission to “end homelessness and landlessness in the state, through the LIFE Mission” and the provision of “safe and dignified housing” for those identified as extremely poor.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 1: No Poverty

• Target 1.1: By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere. The article’s central theme is Kerala’s goal to “completely eradicated extreme poverty” by November 1, 2025, which is a direct and accelerated effort to achieve this target.
• Target 1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions. The article discusses Kerala’s performance on the National Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), noting its poverty figure declined from 0.70% to 0.55%, and the state’s aim to eliminate it entirely goes beyond this target.
• Target 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services. The article details the provision of “Aadhaar, ration cards, voter ID cards and health insurance,” as well as housing assistance and the distribution of “more than 4 lakh land title deeds,” which are all basic services and rights mentioned in this target.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• Target 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations… to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round. The provision of “food kits and freshly cooked meals” is a direct action to ensure access to food for the most vulnerable, aligning with this target.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines. The article’s mention of providing “health insurance,” “assured medical treatment and necessary medicines” to the identified families directly contributes to this target.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… economic or other status. The government’s philosophy that “no one is left behind” and its targeted, individualized micro-plans for 64,006 families are practical implementations of this target, aiming for the full inclusion of the most marginalized.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services. The article explicitly mentions the LIFE Mission to “end homelessness” and highlights that “around 4.5 lakh houses have been built” and an amount of “Rs 473 crore was expended” for housing as part of the poverty eradication program.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

SDG 1: No Poverty

• Indicator 1.2.1 (Proportion of population living below the national poverty line): The article provides specific figures for Kerala’s poverty rate according to the National Family Health Survey, stating it was “0.70 per cent” in NFHS-4 and declined to “0.55 per cent” in NFHS-5.
• Indicator 1.2.2 (Proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions): The article refers to the ‘National Multidimensional Poverty Index’ and states that a statewide survey identified “1,03,099 individuals across 64,006 families” living in extreme poverty. The reduction of this number to zero is the primary indicator of the program’s success.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• While no specific metric is given, the article implies an indicator through the action taken: the number of families/individuals receiving “food kits and freshly cooked meals.” This serves as a proxy indicator for ensuring food access for the target group.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• Indicator 3.8.1 (Coverage of essential health services): The article provides a specific number, stating that “health insurance were promptly issued or made available to 21,263 families.” This figure can be used as a direct indicator of progress in providing health coverage to the extremely poor.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Indicator 11.1.1 (Proportion of… population living in… inadequate housing): The article provides concrete output indicators for housing programs. It states that “around 4.5 lakh houses have been built” and “more than 4 lakh land title deeds have been distributed” over the last 9 years. It also mentions that “30 acres [were] earmarked for distribution” to the landless among the identified poor.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: mronline.org