Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday underscored the need for promoting interventions from the Global South that have become models for the world in transforming societies.
The prevailing information asymmetry in the world order often impedes the propagation and popularisation of such models, Mr. Vijayan said, inaugurating the 20th edition of the Globelics International Conference at the Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation (GIFT) here.
‘Globelics’ is an acronym for ‘Global Network for Economics of Learning, Innovation, and Competence-building Systems’ and the theme for the 2023 edition is ‘Innovation-driven knowledge economies and transformation in the Global South.’
Describing the Kerala Fibre Optic Network (KFON) project launched by the Kerala Government as one such model, Mr. Vijayan urged the conference to discuss how transformative models “can be heard and seen more than they are now.” KFON is aimed at ensuring that everyone can enjoy the right to internet, overcoming the barriers imposed by physical, social, regional or financial factors, he said.
The Chief Minister said Kerala is in the process of transforming itself into a knowledge economy and innovation-driven society. At the same time, the State faces “the major challenge” of creating vibrancy in the productive sectors of the economy. “We firmly believe that the only way out is to harness science, technology, innovation, and the creation and dissemination of knowledge in general,” he said.
Separate R&D Budget
Presiding over the event, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal said the government planned to continue with a separate Research and Development (R&D) Budget alongside its annual State Budget. The R&D Budget was presented separately for the first time alongside the 2023-24 State Budget. The State was the first in the country to come out with an R&D Budget, he noted. He also expressed the hope that the 20th Globelics conference would provide Kerala with ideas for its own forward growth.
Scholars from over 50 countries are attending the conference which is being held in hybrid mode. Mr. Balagopal had announced the State’s plans to host the conference while presenting the 2023-24 Budget.
Globelics president Erika Kraemer-Mbula; State Planning Board vice chairman V.K. Ramachandran; Sachin Chaturvedi, director general, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS); and Rishikesha T. Krishnan, director, Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru were present. The conference will conclude on October 14.
