THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated a three-day conference on Sunday at the Centre for Development Studies (CDS), celebrating the centenary of its founding director, K N Raj.
In his inaugural address, chief minister highlighted Raj’s contributions as an academic and institution builder. “Under professor Raj’s leadership, CDS conducted pioneering research on Kerala’s development experience, culminating in the renowned CDS-UN study of 1975,” said chief minister.
CM added that on Raj’s 100th anniversary, he prefers to remember him as the great son of Kerala who could broadly state his position on issues he thought as pertinent to the society.
“He believed in excellence of teaching within the classroom, but he also widened the frontiers of teaching and research to inventions in the field of citizen rights and challenged the conformist rule of the grammar of relations between people, civil society and the state. I salute the multifaceted personality who chose to come to his native state and contributed substantially to higher learning in the state,” added CM.
CM called for CDS to celebrate Raj’s birthday as Development Researchers Day on February 10 by organising seminars with the participation of experienced and young scholars. He also extended an invitation to the academic community from the country and abroad to Kerala. The chief minister also released a souvenir commemorating Raj’s contributions to Indian economic development.
The three-day event will feature CDS Alumiini meet, conference, and launching of a souvenir that highlights the life and contributions of K N Raj. A series of lectures across colleges and universities in Kerala by CDS faculty members will also be organised.
Addressing the gathering, former finance minister and CDS alumnus Dr T M Thomas Isaac cited CDS’s work on democratic decentralisation as particularly impactful, noting that Raj, along with CDS, actively engaged in public discourse and even participated in grassroots movements to advocate for rural development reforms. He also pointed to emerging challenges, including unemployment and higher education reform, encouraging CDS to expand its research focus on areas like information technology and innovation.