Job Education  Prof. KN Gangadharan writes

Analysis using familiar techniques such as debt, deficit and content is not in line with the state budget. This is because the Kerala budget is at a much higher level than them, combining the development vision of the government and the analytical skills of the finance minister. Production of knowledge, innovative technologies based on it, skills training to acquire them, entrepreneurship and knowledge jobs - this is the development strategy put forward by the budget. (Budget Speech Paragraph 370). The basic vision of the budget is to "create knowledge-based industries and jobs" with an emphasis on social welfare and infrastructure development. For that, Kerala must be transformed into a knowledge society. And that's not just literacy or graduation. By transforming into a knowledge community, we can ensure the well-being and employment of all. "This is the Kerala alternative of the Left. This is the path that the Budget 2021–22 will open. How appropriate is the state budget to achieve the declared goal is something that everyone, regardless of party affiliation, needs to analyze.

Higher education does not enable students to work. Jobs have not disappeared. But jobs are out of reach. The result is high unemployment. This is a remnant of years of ongoing development efforts. Women are the most unemployed. Males make up 74 percent of the workforce and job seekers. Only 28.5 percent of women.

The challenge facing higher education is to enable young people to access employment opportunities inside and outside the country. In short, empower young people to work and connect them with employers. Doing so will result in employers accepting job seekers as needed. The immediate task is to develop job skills and connect with employers. It must have a digital platform that can communicate with each other. One such platform is the Kerala Development Innovation Strategy Council or K -Disk. K-Disk, which came into existence in 2018, is tasked with imparting skills training to job seekers, gathering information and promoting new ventures.

One of the problems faced by employers is that they do not find job seekers who are knowledgeable and skilled in their field. We need to transform the youth with knowledge and skills. The budget puts forward plans and programs for the same. Some examples –-Loan on installment to acquire computer and accessories. Workplaces will be arranged for low rent. The government will also pay the provident fund. Health insurance will also be introduced. About five lakh women professionals have taken a break since Kovid started 19-19. There are another 40 lakh educated women at home. There are 16 lakh people registered with the Employment Exchange. Thus about 60 lakh women. The budget expects to provide employment to 20 lakh people within five years through the digital platform.

Kerala is becoming an attractive destination for foreign investors as Kovid has managed to reduce mortality. Kerala has become a brand name. As on January 7, 3235 people had died in Kerala. Maharashtra had 49897 deaths, Karnataka 12131, Tamil Nadu 12200, Delhi 10644 and Uttar Pradesh 8452.

For millions, the K-Phone facility will be partially available in two months and fully operational by June. This will make the job search through the online platform more effective. Following Kovid, IT companies are encouraging employees to work from home. Resorts or rental buildings can be turned into workspaces for the needy. The budget allocates funds for this.

More than one lakh students drop out of arts and science colleges every year. More than 6660 students are graduating from engineering colleges. They are not the masters of modern technology and knowledge. Graduates of postgraduate courses in traditional courses. The budget quotes a similarly long list of ever-innovating courses. Most of them are topics related to new areas of knowledge but unfamiliar‌. There must be change in higher education as well as in school education. Or expectations will turn into an oasis as the budget justifiably worries. Kerala must become a society of knowledge. Or change.

Knowledge will be applied through startups and accelerate the financial process. It will also provide increased employment. Knowledge should not be limited to a few. Admission should be ensured for more students. The number of faculties should be increased. Centers of excellence should be established within the universities. The number of post-doctoral fellowships should increase. Infrastructure of universities should be developed and financial assistance to colleges should be increased.

The budget does not envisage the mere number of undergraduate and graduate students in traditional subjects. Instead, the budget aims to create a new knowledge base and achieve employment and economic development. The tool for that is startups. There are 3900 startups that employ 32000 people.

It can be said without any doubt that the present budget is different and innovative from the recent budgets of the Finance Minister. This is a careful step towards a long journey. The budget underscores that literacy and degrees are not the only measure of knowledge. This budget will go down in history.

There is a large population outside the higher education sector. The budget gives due importance to the livelihood schemes of that section. An outlay of `7500 crore is proposed for this purpose. At present 13-14 lakh people are registered under the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The budget proposes to make it available to three lakh more people. An amount of `4057 crore is set apart for this in the financial year 2021-22. The Ayyankali Employment Guarantee Scheme is a unique scheme of Kerala. A total of `200 crore is set apart for this.

Of course, the main occupation is agriculture. Paddy acreage has increased efficiently in recent times. From 1.7 lakh hectares in 2016–17 to 2.23 lakh hectares. 31 percent increase. The budget promises to create two lakh new jobs in the agricultural sector and to create an additional three lakh jobs by growing micro-enterprises. Currently, 1.4 lakh workers are employed in the sector.

The budget reaffirms its commitment to the weaker sections by raising the social welfare pension to Rs 1,600 and announcing that the distribution of free food kits will continue without a holiday. The decision to increase the support prices of paddy, rubber and coconut strengthens the solidarity of the agitating farmers and Kerala's response to the Central Government. The financial burden on parents has been significantly reduced by admitting 6.79 lakh students to government schools. It is a great relief to the common people that they have been able to rehabilitate the homeless by constructing two and a half lakh houses.