Thiruvananthapuram, February 5 (IANS). Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said innovative ideas of students will play a key role in shaping the future of the state, and stressed the need to link education with efforts to address real-life social challenges.
Inaugurating the ‘CM-YIP Meet’ here, during an interaction program with the winners of the Young Innovators Program (YP), the Chief Minister said it is heartening to see that students are recognizing the needs of the society at an early age and working on practical solutions.
From challenges at home to travel and health-related issues, students are connecting with a wide range of concerns, which boosts their confidence.
He said that such ideas are giving strong support to the vision of building a new Kerala. While interacting with the students, Vijayan also talked about the opportunities for higher education abroad.
To protect students who wish to study abroad from fraud, a new system has been launched under the leadership of NORKA.
An app has been developed to help students assess the credibility and standards of foreign educational institutions.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government is committed to taking Kerala’s higher education sector to global standards, and pointed out that the State’s universities are fast gaining national recognition.
He said that students should aim to become not just job seekers but also job providers through startups.
Emphasizing on Kerala’s investment climate, Vijayan said the state’s peaceful and stable social environment continues to attract investors.
He referred to a recent meeting with representatives of a large industrial group, which has proposed an investment of Rs 3 lakh crore.
When asked why Kerala was chosen, the group cited the peace and stability of the state. He said that maintaining this environment is one of the biggest strengths of Kerala.
Vijayan also shared his personal experiences of overcoming difficulties to complete his school and college education.
As part of the programme, an exhibition of prototypes developed by over 300 YP-winning students was organized and certificates were distributed.
Under K-DISC’s leadership, the Young Innovators Program has become the world’s largest innovation initiative, with more than 1.2 million students participating. The scheme provides technical and financial assistance to individuals aged between 13 to 37 years to convert ideas into working prototypes.
–IANS
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