Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has sought the support of the Malayali diaspora in improving the living standards of the people of Kerala on a par with that in middle-income countries within 25 years.
He also pitched opportunities for collaboration in various sectors, including education, health care, industries and skill development while inaugurating the Europe and United Kingdom regional conference of the Loka Kerala Sabha (LKS) in London on Sunday.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Vijayan highlighted the potential of the LKS in creating a ‘Nava Keralam’ (New Kerala) fuelled by a knowledge-based economy.
Education sector
He also elaborated on the steps adopted by the government to lead the education sector on the right track. “While the general education sector has witnessed significant progress since 2016, efforts are afoot to strengthen the higher education avenue and transform the State into a higher education hub that extends facilities on a par with foreign universities. The government hoped to reduce student migration and attract students from other States and countries through such efforts,” he said.
The information technology (IT) sector, the Chief Minister said, was poised for a big leap by riding high on a start-up ecosystem, considered among the best in the country. The efforts made by the government to develop the industries sector too had begun to show results. The government had targeted an increase of 1 lakh micro, small and medium enterprises within a year.
Mr. Vijayan reiterated the State’s demand for a national migration policy that could ascertain the service conditions of Non-Resident Indians (NRI) and prevent the exploitation of migrants. The absence of such legislation had resulted in the absence of a comprehensive database of NRIs spread across the world.
Industries Minister P. Rajeeve presided over the inaugural session. General Education and Labour Minister V. Sivankutty; Health Minister Veena George; Chief Secretary V.P. Joy; Kerala State Planning Board vice chairperson V.K. Ramachandran and member K. Raviraman; NoRKA-Roots resident vice chairperson P. Sreeramakrishnan, vice chairperson M.A. Yussuf Ali, directors Ravi Pillai, Azad Moopan, O.V. Musthafa, C.V. Rappai and J.K. Menon; principal secretaries Suman Billa, A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish and LKS regional conference chief coordinator S. Sreekumar also participated.
