Kerala Declared India's First State to Eliminate Extreme Poverty

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced in a special assembly session that Kerala has become the first state in India to be free of extreme poverty. The declaration was made on Kerala's formation day, based on a state-run survey and targeted intervention program. However, the opposition Congress-led UDF dismissed the claim as "pure fraud" and boycotted the session in protest, leading to a heated exchange. The government maintains it has successfully implemented its promise to lift thousands out of destitution.