KOCHI: The Prof K V Thomas Vidhyadhanam Trust ‘Meet the Great Leaders’ programme held at St Teresa’s College on Monday, provided an opportunity for school and college students in the district to interact with the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman. The questions ranged from brain drain to issues regarding employability. The interactive session was also a competition event with the three best questions from among the 19 asked getting prizes.
The teams that got the first, second and third places were Sree Sarada Vidyalaya, Kalady, Government College, Tripunithura and SCMS School of Engineering and Technology.
The first prize-winning question regarding the issue of brain drain that the state is facing had the Union Minister point her finger at the system of ‘nokkukooli’ being one big reason why promising youngsters are moving abroad. She said, “Migration is not something new to Kerala. Kerala has always had this entrepreneurial spirit. They were ready to work hard and earn to support their families.
It has been happening since way back in the past. Not just to Europe and the US or the UK, the migrations had been happening to the Middle East. It should be noted that oil fields, refineries and other industries in the Middle East have been operating smoothly due to the manpower that went there from Kerala.”
The Union Minister was very vocal about the issue of ‘nokukooli’ being a big evil that has given Kerala a bad mark. “We are the leaders in providing solutions. We are the leaders in running the complicated network of businesses. But why do youngsters don’t want to be still here? That is because despite the advancement in technology Kerala continues to remain in the 1960s era where ‘nokukooli’ reigned supreme. No longer can businesses be so unionised. ‘Nokukooli’ and related problems should get out of Kerala or else Kerala people won’t come back to the state.” She said opportunities are immense for Kerala when it comes to a knowledge-based economy.
The second question that grabbed the Union Finance Minister’s attention was the one on the need for financial literacy among the masses. Answering the second prize-winning question, Sitharaman said, “From childhood, we need to educate students on how to handle their money. Financial literacy is important in the modern era. Not only do they need to be taught how to save money but also be cautious about the financial advice they are provided. Financial scams have become a big issue with even the well-educated and professionals falling prey.”