THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The challenge before Kerala is no longer expanding access to basic services but transforming a high human development society into a productive, knowledge-driven economy that generates quality employment, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said at the valedictory function of Vision 2031 on Tuesday. It should foster innovation and remain environmentally sustainable without abandoning social commitments, he said.
“The discussions around Vision 2031 have moved far beyond being a technical document. They have emerged as a shared framework informed by evidence, debate, and democratic consultation for Kerala as it approaches its 75th year as a state,” he said.
Kerala’s development journey has never been a straight line, Pinarayi said. “From land reforms and investments in public education and health, to social security and decentralised planning, the so-called ‘Kerala’s development experience’ has been one of continuous renewal. It has rested on the understanding that markets alone cannot deliver social justice, and that public action, democratic institutions, and collective mobilisation are essential to human development,” he said.
Pinarayi thanked former Union minister and Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for his generous remarks on Kerala’s achievements in decentralisation. “His observation that Kerala stands as India’s leading example of panchayati raj resonates deeply with our own experience. The political roots of decentralisation in Kerala can be traced back to the first Communist ministry under E M S Namboodiripad, which recognised local democracy as essential to social transformation,” he said.
“Kerala’s experience reminds us that secularism is not merely a constitutional principle, but a lived social practice. It is visible in our schools, neighbourhoods, workplaces, and local institutions,” Pinarayi said.
According to the chief minister, Kerala’s future strategy rests on three interlinked principles: growth with quality employment, democratic participation, and social justice.
“The ambition to build a knowledge-based economy through technology, higher education, innovation, and skill development is grounded in Kerala’s human development achievements,” he said.
Vision 2031 for future
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said discussions around Vision 2031 have moved far beyond being a technical document
He said they have emerged as a shared framework informed by evidence, debate, and democratic consultation for the state