Republic Day Speech: Kerala Governor calls for qualitative transformation of higher education to stem drain of students

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], January 26 (ANI): Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Thursday praised the state government led by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan for working on the vision of a 'Navakeralam' by addressing key areas like Agriculture and Environment, Housing, Health care and Education.

"The completion of over 3.2 lakh houses under the Livelihood Inclusion and Financial Empowerment [LIFE] Scheme has added strength to India's dream of providing houses to over one crore beneficiaries, through the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana [PMAY] and related schemes," Khan said while delivering the Republic Day address at the Central Stadium here on Thursday.

Governor Khan said that Kerala's top position in the latest Performance Grading Index (PGI) of the Union Ministry of Education, the progress in the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals and the effective management of decentralized planning have been widely appreciated.

"This decade of India's projected demographic dividend calls for progressive qualitative transformation in Higher Education so as to limit the flow of our students to other States and countries. Given Kerala's high intellectual and technological potential, it is achievable through dedicated, focused efforts," Khan said.

Kerala, he said has drawn inspiration from India's rise as the third largest Start Up ecosystem in the world and the Kerala Start Up Mission has been recognized in the Global Start Up Ecosystem Report-2022 as Asia's leading performer.

The NITI Aayog Baseline Report about Kerala recording the lowest multidimensional poverty in the country, the third position in terms of employability of the youth as per India Skills Report 2022 and the appreciation received for Innovation Index and social security measures acknowledge the good performance of the State, the Governor said.

Well in tune with the national goals on Health, Kerala's Aardram Mission has been re-engineering healthcare facilities from sub-centres to Medical colleges and ensuring patient access to quality healthcare services. More hospitals securing the National Quality Assurance Standard certification bears testimony to our efforts, he said.

The Governor said that Kerala's 'Year of Enterprises' scheme resulting in the establishment of 1.23 lakh Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), an investment of Rs.7517 crore and an employment generation of 2.67 lakh have supplemented our national endeavours to promote the manufacturing sector.

The NITI Aayog Baseline Report about Kerala recording the lowest multidimensional poverty in the country, the third position in terms of employability of the youth as per India Skills Report 2022 and the appreciation received for Innovation Index and social security measures acknowledge the good performance of the State.

"As a nation, our diligence and tenacity have paid rich dividends, which are visible through a plethora of accomplishments proclaiming our robustness and philosophy of life and enhancing our prestige in the comity of nations," Khan said.

The completion of cent percent seeding of Adhaar cards, training for the youth of Scheduled Castes and Tribes, the provision of over 15 lakh rural household tap connections under Jal Jeevan Mission, and promotion of Responsible Tourism to felicitate local economic development are some of our notable strides towards progress, the Governor said.

The recently announced National Green Hydrogen Mission and India's rise as the third largest producer of renewable energy, he said, have boosted Kerala's hopes about a boom in e-Mobility in the coming years. We also hope to benefit from the improvements in road infrastructure and rail projects like Swadeshi Vande Bharat Trains.

"Coming to agriculture, what emerges from our wheat fields is the scent of self reliance, as India becomes the second largest producer of wheat and the world's food basket, with a 42 per cent increase in the export of processed fruits and vegetables," he said.

In the context of agricultural reforms, Kerala's Krishi Darshan, Millet Village, and other steps to ensure food security, higher income for farmers, and more jobs in the farm sector attain greater relevance, Kerala Governor said.

The efforts for delivery of services through the Integrated Local Self-Governance Management System (ILGMS) in our Grama Panchayats which are empowering our villages in many ways, also deserve applause, he said.

"It was Gandhiji who observed that the soul of India lives in its villages. Today, considering the national and state level initiatives in rural development and agriculture, we could see the future of India in our villages.

"It is the perennial and ever-renewing sense of oneness that reflects in the message- One Earth, one family, One future- that our PM Narendra Modi ji has also proclaimed on assuming the chairmanship of G-20 nations," the Governor said.

He further stressed: "Instead of fight for survival, India now guides the world with the mantra of act in unison in tackling global issues like climate change, terrorism, and pandemics."He said that the spirit of self-reliance (Atmanirbharta), has enabled India to confidently tide over the Covid-19 pandemic by ramping up the health infrastructure, producing medicines and vaccines and making them accessible and available to 220 crore people.

"The economic reforms of the Union government led by the Prime Minister and guided by the spirit of Atmanirbharta has helped India emerge as the world's fifth largest economy last year. Today, 40 per cent of the world's UPI transactions are happening in India alone," he said.

Earlier in the day, the Kerala governor unfurled the Tricolor at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. (ANI)