In my previous post, I had spoken about why we need #SaveKerala. You can read it here.
In this post, I would like to talk about two factors that need to be done to #SaveKerala.
Jobs: As discussed in my previous post, nearly 3 million Keralites are working in other states & countries for the lack of opportunities in the state. 50% of them are working as laborers in industries and hospitality sector. The state has to concentrate on Industrial Growth in order to create jobs. Keralites who have been working abroad will have all the required skill set and experience to work in any industry started in Kerala. It’s time the new government that takes over from UDF works in tandem with the central government in order to get any kind of assistance for the industrial sector.
Palghat Rail Coach Factory is a prime example of how bad the industrial sector in Kerala is. Kanjikode rail coach factory was announced in the railway budget of 2008-2009 by UPA1. LDF was ruling the state till 2011 and it was congress led UDF that has been ruling the state after that. With a congress led government at the center and powerful leaders like AK Antony as central ministers, UDF should have got the factory completed by now. However as per this article the factory is still in the planning stage. And the reason given is “The Kerala government’s failure to take the project forward by exerting pressure on the centre“.
The IT sector is another sector which needs to be looked upon by the new government. IT & ITeS in Kerala employees just 40K people whereas a major IT company in Bangalore employees almost 20K people. The reason for such a bad state of affairs in IT sector is operational costs (high rent, electricity cost) and quality human resource(education is a main factor affecting this). The new government should have to burn midnight oil to get this sector back up and running. They would need to have professionals handling this sector.
Education: Kerala has literacy rate of 96%, but what we need to consider is the quality of education. I have interviewed few B.Tech graduates from Kerala for Tele Researchers in my team. They lack communication skills and they lack confidence. When asked why they would want to work in BPO after completing B.Tech, the answer I get is “couldn’t find jobs in their fields”. Even though lack of opportunities back home is the reason for not getting jobs in Kerala, main reason for not getting jobs in other states is because of the quality of education. Many students pass out without even knowing the basics in their field. They mug up, write exams and pass out. You cannot blame the students alone, the student unions are to be blamed too.
Almost 50% academic days are lost due to strikes by various unions for some reason or the other (unions include ABVP,AISF, SFI, KSU). The students do not find time to learn. And then there are strikes by teachers association, one cannot expect quality education when you do not find student or teachers in classrooms.The new government that takes over should make sure to provide training for students on communication and personality development for students of class 10 and above. The new government should hold a meeting of all political parties to discuss various ways to stop the over influence of unions in the education sector. This will do a world of good for students. Industries will get quality human resource if Kerala has a sound education system.
I have mentioned two main factors that needs to be looked upon in order to Save Kerala. I strongly believe BJP is the only party that can #SaveKerala. In the third & final article I will justify why I feel BJP is that party that can lead Kerala to development.
