THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Soon, conservative modes of planning may undergo a sea change in Keralam. The State Planning Board is set to bring in Gen Z entrepreneurs and professionals to be part of the planning process, in a bid to ensure fresh perspectives in development.
Touted to be a first-of-its-kind in the country, the move is to actively consider the voices of youth in shaping the state’s development while drafting the 15th Five-Year Plan for 2027-2032. Inviting their suggestions, seeking their perspectives, and incorporating their requirements will be part of the agenda.
Going by the planning board, youngsters would be included in the working groups formulated to look into different sectors. Of the total 40 working groups, young professionals will be incorporated in as many groups for which eligible individuals can be identified.
“Youngsters who have already proven to be performing individuals in various sectors — doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs, etc. — will be pooled into working groups concerned. The selection process for this has already begun by identifying professionals and reaching out to them, instead of advertising,” Planning Board member G Vijaya Raghavan told TNIE.
Government officials, experts, civil society and professionals from various fields will also be part of the working groups.
‘15th Five-Year Plan will focus on all-round devpt’
In addition, there will be special working groups of Gen Z and youngsters on youth-related matters as part of drafting the five-year plan, which is expected to be finalised by next May.
An approach paper, defining the state’s take on how development should be brought into the state, is being prepared by the planning board and is set to be placed before the public for discussion and suggestions.
Apart from this, separate working groups will be formed to extensively discuss how this approach can be implemented in each sector — health, agriculture, education, etc.
Rather than the amount of money spent on a project, the focus will now be shifted to the outcome — the benefits and functionality of projects in the longer run.
According to board members, the 15th Five-Year Plan will concentrate on all-round development, opening up investments in a partnership economy mode, while safeguarding livelihoods, social well-being and the environment.
Planning Board member Sridhar Radhakrishnan said the move will ensure that the ideas of youngsters are actively considered.
“Five-year plans are being made for the future, and the planning board is trying for an intergenerational and intersectoral approach for a new-age Keralam. Young entrepreneurs have clear ideas about key issues, like climate change, which many senior or experienced people may not always have,” he told TNIE.
The planning board will also seek the support of IIM Kozhikode to make SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound) plans for various departments.
A set of time-bound projects will be sought from each department, which will be run on a pilot basis in 2027-28, and the project mode will be fully adopted in the later years.