Lok Sabha Question No. 59 (STARRED), answered on 2025-12-03
Subject: Extreme-Poverty Free Kerala
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri M K Raghavan, Shri N K Premachandran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY  OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

STARRED QUESTION NO. 59 TO BE ANSWERED ON 3 RD DECEMBER, 2025

## EXTREME-POVERTY FREE KERALA

## 859. SHRI NK  PREMACHANDR\N: SHRI M K RAGHAVAN:

Will  the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the declaration of Kerala as an extreme-poverty free State in November, 2025, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Antyodya  Anna Yojana (AAY)  category ration cards are liable to be cancelled or  discontinued in Kerala  following the State Government's declaration of  the State as "extremepoverty free" and if  so, the details thereof including the guidelines issued for the declaration of extreme-poverty free status;
- (c) whether the  above declaration is  beneficial  to  Kerala  for  availing  loan from  external financial  agencies and if  so, the details of action taken thereon;
- (d) the details regarding the number of persons and number of  families  in  extreme poverty as per the statistics followed  by the Union  Government;
- (e) the benefits and quantity of  foodgrains supplied to Kerala considering the extreme  poverty as per the existing data; and
- (f) whether the Union  Government proposes to make any change in the supply of  foodgrains to Kerala on the basis of the said declaration and if  so, the details thereoP

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION AND MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

(SHRI PRALHAD JOSHI)

(a) to (f):

A  statement is laid  on the Table of the House

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN  REPLY TO PARTS (a) To (f)  of STARRED QUESTION NO.59 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 03.12.2025 IN THE LOK SABHA.

- (a): Government of Kerala have officially  announced the State as the first  in the country free from extreme poverty on lst November 2025 (' Kerala Pir uvf  -  Day of  State Formation), in a special session of the State Assembly.
- (b): The extreme poverty is not any criteria, for  identification of  eligible households, in the AAY  guidelines.
- (c): No such information, with reference to public distribution system, is maintained by the Department.
- (d): The  Government of India developed  a comprehensive  index known as  National Multidimensional  Poverty Index (MPI)  to  measure poverty. As per the latest report, 'National Multidimensional Poverty Index: A  Progress Review 2023', released by  NITI  Aayog. the proportion of population in  multidimensional poverty declined from  24.85% to  14.96% between 2015-16 and 2019- 21, indicating that about 13.5 crore people have escaped poverty during the period. The proportion of  population in  multidimensional poverty in Kerala state declined from 0.70% to 0.55% between 2015-16 and 2019- 21 indicating that about 53239 people have escaped multidimensional  poverty in the state.

Further, as per the discussion paper on Multidimensional Poverty in  India since 2005-06 published by NITI Aayog,  Multidimensional Poverty in  India is estimated to have declined from 29.17% in  2013-14 to  11.28% in  2022-23 implying  that 24.8 crore people have escaped poverty during this period.

- (e) &  (f): Allocation  of  foodgrains to States/Union Territories (UTs) under the Act made on the  basis  of  identification of  beneficiaries reported  by  the  States/UTs  within the  State/UT-'wise coverage of  population  determined by the then Planning Commission, and foodgrains entitlement prescribed under the  Act  i.e.  35  kg  per household per  month for  households covered under Antyodaya Anna Yojana and 5 kg per person per month for Priority  households.

As the extreme poverty is not any criteria, for identification of eligible households, in the AAY  guidelines, no change in the supply offoodgrains  to Kerala is envisaged, for the present.

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