THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala is in the process of evolving into a knowledge economy, in alignment with the foundational principles of the renowned Kerala Model of development, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He made these remarks during his inaugural address at the 20th international conference of the Global Network for Economics of Learning, Innovation, and Competence-building Systems (GLOBELICS) on Wednesday. The state has achieved a Human Development Index (HDI) comparable to that of developed nations through the Kerala Model of Development.
The progress made in areas such as healthcare and education has contributed to high-performing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators for Kerala. The state has also made significant strides in poverty reduction and boasts a thriving startup ecosystem with global recognition, he said.
The Chief Minister pointed out that the digital divide across the country remains a serious concern. To address this issue, the state government is actively working on establishing a digital system through the K-FON project, providing low-cost internet access to the general population. This initiative is expected to create more job opportunities and increase people’s income.
Finance Minister K N Balagopal spoke about the government’s goal of generating 2 million new job opportunities by 2026. In his presidential address, he highlighted that Kerala is the first state in India to introduce a separate R&D budget in 2023, a practice that will continue in future budgets.
Prof Erika Kraemer , president , GLOBELICS , Prof V K Ramachandran, vice Chairman, Kerala State Planning Board, Prof Sachin Chathurvedi , director, IRS and Prof Rishikesha T Krishnan also spoke at the inaugural session . Prof K J Joseph , secretary- general , GLOBELICS and director Gulati Institute of Finance and Taxation ( GIFT) delivered the welcome address and assistant prof Kiran Kumar Kakarlapudi proposed vote of thanks.