A large number of people from various walks of life, including school students pledged on Monday to try and achieve the UN Millenium Development Goal of eradicating poverty by 2015, in what could go into the record books for its scale and diversity of participation.

The participants, representing labour unions, religious groups, local administration, youths, Members of Parliament, MLAs, sports organisations and the media, took an oath at a ceremony administered by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan.

The ceremony was part of the 'stand up' campaign to eradicate poverty which started on Sunday at 3.30 pm and will continue till 3.30 pm on Monday.

The Guinness Book of World Records is monitoring the campaign, which is also aiming to find a place in record books for its scale and diversity of participation.

The group will announce the result on October 17, the International Poverty Eradication Day, a release said.

UN millennium campaign director Salil Shetty and state PWD, Energy and IT Minister Kailash Vijaywargiya were prominent among those present at the ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, Chouhan listed various development steps taken by his government, especially in the social sector and insfrastructure.

He said the government was committed to ensure that the per capita income in Madhya Pradesh rises from Rs 14,000 now to Rs 50,000 by 2012.

To ensure equal participation and empowerment of women in the society, he said a bill would soon be brought in the assembly to provide 50 percent reservation to them in local bodies.