Kerala Forward

  As people hit old age, those employed in the public sector can retire and live off the pensions and other benefits doled out by the government. Those posted in the private firms, on the other hand, could save enough and secure life post-retirement. But what about the other at-risk group, the non-earning elderly people who depend on others for money?   The State Government assists them with welfare pensions. The government has implemented the pension scheme to help senior citizens without any source of income to be independent for their primary needs. As per the records, more than 46 lakh people receive social security pensions from the State Government, while another 6.5 lakh people draw the welfare fund board pensions. In the past four years of the current administration, a total of 29,770 people were included in the beneficiary list for pensions. The government also scrutinized the list and weeded out the people who are ineligible to get the benefits.  Much to the...

When every new academic year kicks off, the biggest challenge for teachers is not simply getting the students to read or take proper notes — it is getting them the textbooks right on time for their study. Some students opt to use second-hand textbooks when books are not readily available, but not many are fortunate enough to have seniors around them willing to give away course materials.  Luckily for these students – and for teachers too, the first volume of textbooks will arrive by April 15. Over three crore textbooks for the 2020-21 academic year have been printed and are ready to ship. Like the previous academic years in school, the government made constant efforts to ensure the students receive their textbooks on time for study.   Distributed by the Kerala Books and Publication Society (KBPS), the textbooks are being published in three volumes, the first of which is now ready for distribution.  As many as 3.3 lakh textbooks have now been published in Arabi, Urdu...

  Walking to the Public Health Centre (PHC), Fousiya Cholakkadan carries a distinct spring in her step. The 45-year-old housewife from Malappuram has brought her mother to the PHC for the treatment of her age-related ailments, for which she won’t have to stand in long winding queues. She has taken a web-based appointment for her mother under Aardram project, the Kerala government project to deliver quality healthcare, patient-friendly services in government hospitals. The ambitious programme aims to add speciality and super-speciality facilities to the district and Taluk hospitals. It also looks to turn the PHCs into the Family Health Centres (FHC) to effectively meet the healthcare needs of all the members of the family and to address the preventive, promotive and rehabilitative healthcare. The key features of the project are that this enabled a web-based appointment system, patient reception and registration, improved facilities in waiting areas. The FHCs will have more numbe...

The past five years saw the Kerala Government showcase the courage to act on sensitive issues that led to frequent conflicts in the state. The ban on Nooku Kooli or 'gawking wage' has been one such measure that came as a jolt to trade unions who charged hirers for just looking while others worked. Making this obsolete gawking wage practice unlawful, the government made the all-important step to transform Kerala as an investment-friendly destination  Nokku Kooli, which literally translates into 'gawking wage or fees', is a localised term used to refer to the money extortion done by organised labour unions in the state. Under this unwritten law, wages have to be paid to trade union workers for loading and unloading works carried out by other workers or by machines. This practice has received criticism from all quarters for its futility and senselessness, and was considered a product of militant trade unionism that often led to constant fights between workers and busines...

  Over the past five years, Kerala has been a state of trend setters. So it should come as no surprise that the state, which has already launched a lot of first-in-the-country projects, came up with another in the form of a digital university. As is customary for Kerala in most of the previous projects, this one too is a pathbreaking venture in the country. It was Governor of Kerala Arif Mohammed Khan who inaugurated Kerala University of Digital Sciences Innovation and Technology based in Technocity at Mangalapuram, the first phase of which now completed with an academic and hostel block. The varsity is an outcome of the state's resolve to embrace new technologies and the continued efforts to use them for producing positive changes in people. It is expected to be a global hub for higher learning and technology.  Setting international standards in digital education for higher studies, the varsity will provide a digital platform for those wanting to pursue postgraduate and r...

  Surya’s mouth was dry, her clammy hands shaking uncontrollably and her heart beating faster as she left for the school on the opening day of SSLC examination last year. She was indeed engulfed by fear and anxiety about the exam and, more importantly, about Covid-19 and the chances of catching it from her friends. But special arrangements made at the centre to fight the coronavirus killed her fears, and Surya was finally relieved she would not have to wait for another academic year to finish her Class X because of the pandemic.  Like Surya, thousands of others had waited with bated breath as the public examinations in the state were deferred owing to the nationwide pandemic-induced lockdown. Opposition protest was mounting as the Kerala Government, which had to put off the SSLC and Plus Two exams indefinitely, later decided to conduct them with proper arrangements against Covid-19 spread.  The government, which allowed the Schools to organise the exam, also s...

  The Covid-19 saw a mass exodus of NRKs from the Gulf countries to Kerala. While some of them returned home on furlough, others flew back to the state after losing their day jobs. The mass NRI arrivals plunged an already crisis-hit country into deep water, but the Government in Kerala was not one to sit back and watch. It was first off the blocks to roll out programmes that rehabilitated the expats who landed in the state empty-handed.  The State launched different projects such as help desks, online medical consultation for patients, registration for Kerala expats, under the Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA) ROOTS. Using the schemes, the State Government actively intervened in the issues of those searching for jobs abroad, those who were stranded overseas and those who have arrived back in Kerala after being laid off from their organisations.    As many as 1,056 flights touched down at Kerala after the Centre launched Vande Bharat, a mission ...

  There was anxiety, excitement, laughter - even tears. Students of the Xth and the XIIth classes were hastening back to school - after the long break of the "Lock down" when they were at home during the Covid Pandemic. The teachers had been struggling - trying to adapt themselves to the new method of online teaching. Now they had to work flat out ensuring "social distancing" in the classrooms that had been deserted for so long. Some parents still desisted from sending their children back to school despite the assurances of the Government. But those who arrived did take utmost care to ensure keeping social distance, washing their hands with disinfectant, and keeping safely apart from one another. Around 2400 schools across the State; and 3000 with higher secondary sections had sprung back to life. The Government guidelines saw to it that the necessary precautions were enforced. At the end of every session, the class rooms were disinfected. Parents had to drop off...

  Starting a business from scratch is not an easy task. Just ask any of the thousands of wannabe business owners who take the plunge into the uncertain world of entrepreneurship every year. Within just a few months of planning, more than half of these business aspirants will drop the plan, a testament to how difficult it is to start a business, let alone sustaining it. For those businessmen in Kerala, however, there is nothing to worry, for the state government has made everything easy for you. Kerala enacted seven new laws and 10 amendments to existing laws, making the state industrial-friendly. If one wants to start an enterprise, they can make it with a single window clearance.                                            Kerala Single Window Interface for Fast and Transparent clearance for industrial projects has been one huge step towards simplifying business procedu...

Are great leaders born or made? The question has indeed split people into three groups: the first of them believe that the brains of best leaders are wired differently when compared to most others; secondly are those who think that leaders are forged in the fires of adversity; and lastly, those who feel that both nature and nurture are essential elements in the recipe for leadership. Of these three schools of thought, the most apt could well be those who think leadership can be taught in classes. And that is why we have the Kerala Youth Leadership Academy (KYLA) rolled out by the State Government.  The KYLA is a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country aimed at empowering the youth across the state to tap their potential and commitment towards social development and governance. Chief Minister PinarayiVijayn inaugurated the programme in September last year. The KYLA has partnered with the Workforce Recovery Programme (WRP) and lays a special focus on people who have been laid o...

Suchitra still trembles with fear, describing the terrible day she lost her dear home two years ago. The 42-year-old widow watched from a distance as a huge hill came off, burying everything on its way. Tons of mud cascaded down the slope, bringing along with it, trees and houses, and blanketing the area with a thick layer of mud and stones.  The landslip completely turned a scenic village into a red lake of mud and stones. Today, as she stands outside her newly-built house, Suchitra is a relieved woman. The government might not have returned everything she had lost, but it has at least built a new home for her.  The Care Home project of the Department of Cooperation has come as a huge relief to thousands of people like Suchitra who were left homeless by the floods and landslides that took place two years ago. The government built 2,000 houses under the project across the state.   The cooperative societies joined hands with organisations like the Uralungal Labo...

  Seated in the chair in the new house in Kanjikkode, Plakkad, migrant worker Sonu beamed from ear to ear. Over the past five years, Sonu has been living in a congested, single room which did not have any basic amenities. But for the first time as a migrant worker, he is enjoying a decent stay, thanks to the Apna Ghar programme rolled out for guest workers.     Toiling hard at the construction site under scorching heat, Sonu has only one thing on his mind- build a house for his family in his native Assam.  While he is carefully walking towards the dream, his living condition in Kerala has been pitiable. Now with the government announcing the completion of Apana Ghar, the migrant workers can lead a life they dream in Kerala too.  A first-of-its-kind initiative, the government completed the venture building a four storey-building with 64 rooms in Kanjikode of Palakkad in 2019. The government completed the project at a cost of Rs 8.5 cr. The Apna Ghar was ...

Health has been a primary concern of human beings since time immemorial. Kerala has for long taken various measures to ensure healthcare for all – from kids to women to people of all ages. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that the e-health scheme– a health department programme rolled out in association with the state IT Mission– has been a well-received social objective in the state.  Under the e-Health project, an ambitious programme implemented by the State government with the help of the World Bank, the government created an electronic health record (EHR) of the people and an end-to-end automation of all the government healthcare institutions along with the integration of an electronic demographic database. A first-of-its-kind initiative, the comprehensive health scheme digitised all government hospitals in the state and then created an integrated healthcare cloud containing healthcare records of all Kerala citizens. Records showed that the project has been a g...

Owning a house is not an easy feat. For many, it takes a lifetime of savings to build one while for others, banks can help out with home loans. In any case, the bulk of people’s wages goes into constructing a house. But, what about those whose dreams of owning a house are beyond their financial capabilities? That is where governments can chip in with financial assistance, and that is exactly what the Kerala government has done through its LIFE Mission programme. The kind gesture from the state brought back smiles to the faces of people who once thought building a house was beyond their reach. The state has, so far, constructed 2.51 lakh houses for its citizens who did not have any fixed abode for long. Those who meet the eligibility for the government assistance can avail the service by applying online.  Under the programme, the applicant will receive Rs 4 lakh for a house, to which the Centre makes a contribution of Rs 72,000 in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) rural and Rs 1.5...

  It seems the days when Kerala depended heavily on the Udumalpet-Palakkad line for electricity is   now a thing of the past. With the state government commissioning the Edamon-Kochi corridor in the Tirunelveli-Madakkathara inter-state power transmission corridor things are moving at a fast pace. The completion of this project is a landmark moment that makes way for giant strides in the domains of power transmission supply and agriculture of the state.  The new power transmission network strengthened the power import capacity of the state by 800 MW and also enables Kerala to bring in power from any part of the country. With the completion of Edamon- Kochi 400 KV line (148.3 km), Tirunelveli- Kochi-Thrissur- Udumalpettu 400 KV power highway (437 km) becomes a reality.  Palakkad, Kottayam and Kochi see a spike of 2 kV after the line was charged. The new Edamon-Kochi corridor lessens the state's dependency on the Udumalpet-Palakkad line and allays fears of a complete ...

  Walking out following a five-day hospitalising in Kochi, guest worker Amir Anzari is a relieved man. Not that he has fully recovered from his accident injuries, but that he only had to pay less than Rs 1000 despite running up a bill of Rs 30,000. The balance amount? It was paid by the Kerala government through its Awas insurance scheme for guest workers. Amir was enrolled for the Awas health insurance scheme last year and was only fortunate to utilise the insurance amount to pay up the medical bill following an accident. A concrete finisher, Amir earns only less than Rs 700 a day, and a hospital bill of that big an amount without any insurance cover would take away his three months' savings. It is the first time that a state in the country is launching a scheme that would provide health coverage for the guest workers. The project was launched by Health Minister K K Shylaja by issuing identity cards to guest workers. Under the programme, migrant labourers working in Kerala wou...

  As the clock ticked 10, standard VII students Manju and Arjun switched the TV on. Holding a pen and notebook, they sat glued to the screen where a teacher intently read out from a social studies textbook. This is the new normal in Kerala even as the Covid-19 put off the reopening of schools for months. When lockdown forced everyone to stay at home, the government made sure the students did not miss out on their lessons, rolling out a first-of-its-kind virtual learning initiative in India called First Bell Kerala is the first state to introduce such a programme which airs quality content that can match similar privately-owned e-learning apps. The First Bell initiative was launched by the General Education Department as an interim solution in the form of regular classes as schools remained closed owing to Covid-19-induced lockdown. Initially, as many as 604 classes have been aired through KITE (Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education) Victers, a state-run educational c...

Fuel prices in the country might be going through the roof, but for the citizens of Kerala, there is good news.  The state government is now encouraging the use of cost-effective, pollutant-free plug-in electric vehicles to say goodbye to expensive internal combustion engines, thereby preserving the environment. So, if you think gasoline cars are no longer affordable owing to the skyrocketing fuel prices, you can think of buying an electric vehicle, and the state government would be glad to help you out.    Titled the e-mobility programme, the government aims to fight pollution by rolling out the environment-friendly substitute for fossil fuels. As part of the campaign, the State Government Departments are encouraged to switch to electrical vehicles (EVs) from Petrol or Diesel cars which are taken on lease or hired for official purpose.     Recently, Tata Motors has delivered the first lot of 65 EVs to the motor vehicle department of Kerala as part ...

Looking at their neatly folded uniforms laid out at home, LP school students Nitha Kumar and Nimisha seem elated - this time when the schools reopen for classes they will be wearing these brightly designed new skirts and tops. So what is special about them? They are all handwoven by Kerala’s traditional handloom workers and were given for free by the government. An initiative to help the struggling traditional handloom workers, the Kerala Government launched free handloom uniforms for students. Government school students from class I to VII will be wearing the new uniforms as they go to school from next academic year. The project targets 8.5 lakh students as beneficiaries and would procure 42 lakh metres of handloom cloths.  Apart from providing uniforms free to students, the scheme aims to help workers in the struggling traditional handloom industry. Though the government is already providing money to buy a pair of uniforms for students up to standard VIII, it is not feasible fo...

It was only recently that Kamalam K fell victim to online fraud. The 47-year-old housewife from Kannur regretfully recalls giving away key details of her debit card and OTP to a fake phone banker and ending up losing about Rs 50,000. Kamalam now knows that it was a costly mistake revealing banking details to a stranger and rues her lack of basic phone banking awareness that could have saved her hard-earned money from the hoax caller.  Now that she has lost her money, Kamalam was adamant she would not repeat the mistake and wants her children and friends to be armed against such fraud by learning the basics. Fortunately for Kamalam, the Kerala Government has launched e-Keralam project, literacy classes on online banking, digital marketing, cybersecurity and online education for school children. At the school level, training the students will be e-literacy experts who will be meeting them in online and real classroom sessions. The state has launched the project as part of the sec...