Thiruvananthapuram, the Congress-led opposition UDF on Thursday said in the state assembly that increasing student migration from Kerala was a dangerous trend which, if not addressed, would result in the southern state becoming home to senior citizens.
The Left government, however, brushed it aside, saying it was a global phenomenon that was not limited to Kerala alone.
The issue was raised by the UDF while seeking adjournment of House proceedings to discuss the matter, permission for which was denied by the President after the state government said student migrations were a normal trend and a result of globalization. .
Following the denial of permission for the motion to adjourn the House, the opposition staged a walkout, claiming that the government and the state higher education minister were "in denial mode" and did not recognize the danger posed by migration. student.
State Higher Education Minister R Bindu said student migration was a "global phenomenon" post-globalization and was not limited to Kerala alone.
"Kerala is one of the states where student migration is very low," Bindu said, adding that students go abroad because they can work there while studying and also because of relaxed visa norms in countries with smaller populations.
To address the problem, the state government has initiated several 'earn while you learn' projects, he said.
The government is also considering drafting laws to regulate agencies that recruit students to go abroad by luring them with false promises, the minister added.
Bindu also claimed that higher education in the state was one of the best in the country, which was evident from the high ratings received by Kerala universities and colleges at the national level. "Therefore, there was no need to discuss the issue in the House," the minister said.
Disagreeing with the minister's claims, Congress MP Mathew Kuzhalnadan, one of the legislators who pushed for the postponement notice, said youth were leaving Kerala because they had not been provided with a proper socio-economic environment to survive in the state.
Kuzhalnadan said one of the main reasons for this was the "stagnant economic growth" in the state compared to its neighbors.
He maintained that the reason for the lack of economic growth was the state's "ideological stubbornness", which was causing FDI and other investments and employment opportunities to flow to the neighboring states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Kuzhalnadan also pointed out that urban unemployment was the highest in Kerala.
"For all these reasons, the youth of Kerala are socially, economically and politically frustrated and want to escape from here. That is why they migrate abroad," he said.
While Bindu refuted Kuzhalnadan's claims as contrary to the real situation, she was backed by opposition leader in the state assembly, VD Satheesan, who said student migration was "unregulated" and a matter of immense concern. worry.
Satheesan said the opposition was not against students going abroad for higher studies.
"But that's not what's happening. Many of them go there spending huge amounts of money to escape from here. They do jobs there that they won't do here," he said.
The opposition leader said that when people go to work in the Gulf nations, Kerala receives remittances from them, and then those people return to the state and start some businesses here.
"But these students go abroad after spending large amounts and then settle there. Therefore, they do not receive remittances and do not return. Therefore, the State loses money, as well as the cream of our population," he added. .
Satheesan said there was a need to examine why more and more students were going abroad, whether they were being cheated, whether they were studying in good institutions, etc.
"We thought the government would take it seriously. Unfortunately, the government and the minister are in denial mode. In protest against the same, we are organizing a strike," he said.
The Left government, however, brushed it aside, saying it was a global phenomenon that was not limited to Kerala alone.
The issue was raised by the UDF while seeking adjournment of House proceedings to discuss the matter, permission for which was denied by the President after the state government said student migrations were a normal trend and a result of globalization. .
Following the denial of permission for the motion to adjourn the House, the opposition staged a walkout, claiming that the government and the state higher education minister were "in denial mode" and did not recognize the danger posed by migration. student.
State Higher Education Minister R Bindu said student migration was a "global phenomenon" post-globalization and was not limited to Kerala alone.
"Kerala is one of the states where student migration is very low," Bindu said, adding that students go abroad because they can work there while studying and also because of relaxed visa norms in countries with smaller populations.
To address the problem, the state government has initiated several 'earn while you learn' projects, he said.
The government is also considering drafting laws to regulate agencies that recruit students to go abroad by luring them with false promises, the minister added.
Bindu also claimed that higher education in the state was one of the best in the country, which was evident from the high ratings received by Kerala universities and colleges at the national level. "Therefore, there was no need to discuss the issue in the House," the minister said.
Disagreeing with the minister's claims, Congress MP Mathew Kuzhalnadan, one of the legislators who pushed for the postponement notice, said youth were leaving Kerala because they had not been provided with a proper socio-economic environment to survive in the state.
Kuzhalnadan said one of the main reasons for this was the "stagnant economic growth" in the state compared to its neighbors.
He maintained that the reason for the lack of economic growth was the state's "ideological stubbornness", which was causing FDI and other investments and employment opportunities to flow to the neighboring states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Kuzhalnadan also pointed out that urban unemployment was the highest in Kerala.
"For all these reasons, the youth of Kerala are socially, economically and politically frustrated and want to escape from here. That is why they migrate abroad," he said.
While Bindu refuted Kuzhalnadan's claims as contrary to the real situation, she was backed by opposition leader in the state assembly, VD Satheesan, who said student migration was "unregulated" and a matter of immense concern. worry.
Satheesan said the opposition was not against students going abroad for higher studies.
"But that's not what's happening. Many of them go there spending huge amounts of money to escape from here. They do jobs there that they won't do here," he said.
The opposition leader said that when people go to work in the Gulf nations, Kerala receives remittances from them, and then those people return to the state and start some businesses here.
"But these students go abroad after spending large amounts and then settle there. Therefore, they do not receive remittances and do not return. Therefore, the State loses money, as well as the cream of our population," he added. .
Satheesan said there was a need to examine why more and more students were going abroad, whether they were being cheated, whether they were studying in good institutions, etc.
"We thought the government would take it seriously. Unfortunately, the government and the minister are in denial mode. In protest against the same, we are organizing a strike," he said.
