"Kerala provides a useful lesson for other countries, particularly as ageing population puts increasing pressures on existing healthcare services," said the report. However, in feudal Kerala, though only the Nambudiris received an education in Vedas, other castes as well as women were open to receive education in Sanskrit, mathematics and astronomy, in contrast to other parts of India. What was new compared to the times of equally high rainfall in the early part of the last century was the flooding due to inept dam management and the vulnerability of the terrain induced by the pattern of land use. The land reform initiative abolished tenancy and landlord exploitation; effective public food distribution that provides subsidised rice to low-income households; protective laws for agricultural workers; pensions for retired agricultural laborers; and a high rate of government employment for members of formerly low-caste communities. A select list of articles that match your interests and tastes. • The educational reforms failed to make a direct mark on the state, as people tend to go abroad for monetary benefits. Subscribe to Morning Filter & Evening Wrap newsletter. Though not much larger than Maryland, Kerala has a population as big as California's and a per capita annual income of less than $300. will not conduct an exercise like NRC. KERALA, MODEL OF DEVELOPMENT. More specifically, Finally, Kerala has not done so well when viewed through the lens of gender justice. High levels of female education have not led to an equally high participation of women in the labour force or in governance, even though they participate equally in elections. [citation needed], The rulers of the princely state of Travancore (were at the forefront in the spread of education. Rajesh K. P. is an assistant professor in the School of Livelihoods and Development, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad. Keywords: Kerala Model of Development, Health, Neo-liberalism, Privatization, Exclusion 1. Kerala, a state in India, is a bizarre anomaly among developing nations, a place that offers real hope for the future of the Third World. There has been overbuilding in Kerala, with absentee owners having invested in luxury houses they do not always occupy. It also weakened the provisions of the legislation governing conversion of agricultural land into construction sites. His research areas include social movements and collective actions, politics and public emotions, development, civil society, social production of new urban spaces and political philosophy. In 2018 Kerala was overwhelmed by an unprecedented natural event. The Kerala model is markedly different from the conventional development thinking which focusses on achieving high GDP growth rates. Though there was growth in NSDP during the nineties, it was actually a jobless growth. In Kerala the birth rate is 40 per cent below that of the national average and almost 60 per cent below the rate for poor countries in general. These are the same problems that are facing other countries. [12], District-wise details of health care institution and beds for as per the 1991 census[13], According to a white paper on the Quality of Death, released by the Economist Intelligence Unit in 2010, has projected the community model healthcare system from Kerala as a beacon of hope for providing palliative care services. Introduction. [1] These achievements along with the factors responsible for such achievements have been considered characteristic results of the Kerala model.[1][2]. Despite having high standards of human development, the Kerala Model ranks low in terms of industrial and economic development. Any lack of enthusiasm was greeted with intolerance, similar to what ultra-nationalists display today when challenged on their claims about India. The “old” Kerala model, preoccupied with redistributive policies, failed, however, to induce economic development. Researchers began to delve more deeply into what was going in the Kerala Model, since human development indices seemed to show a standard of living which was comparable with life in developed nations, on a fraction of the income. Studying Kerala's combination of Government support and civic involvement in end-of-life care, a number of similar models are being tried out in Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Seychelles and even in Switzerland. Hunger index score of Kerala is 17.66 and is next only to Punjab. As a result poorer households are crowded out of safe locations on the plains to precarious ones on the hills. UK topped the list followed by Australia and New Zealand. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the book sheds new light on the paradoxes of the Indian state and its model of economic development. KERALA, MODEL OF DEVELOPMENT Modern Kerala formally emerged as a constituent state of the Indian Union on 1 November 1956, comprising three regions: Travancore, Cochin, and Malabar. With only 3% of India's population, the tiny state provides two-thirds of India's palliative care services. In colonial times, Kerala exhibited little defiance against the British Raj. [25], British Green activist Richard Douthwaite interviewed a person who remembers once saying that "in some societies, very high levels – virtually First World levels – of individual and public health and welfare are achieved at as little as sixtieth of US nominal GDP per capita and used Kerala as an example". The Linguistic Reorganization Committee, which recommended the reorganization of India's states based on the majority's common language, created modern Kerala as a … Life expectancy at birth in Kerala is 75 years compared to 64 years in India and 77 years in the US. [16][17] Hans Rosling also highlighted this when he said Kerala matches United States in health but not in economy and took the example of Washington, D.C. which is much richer but is less healthy compared to Kerala.[18][19]. Please remove or replace such wording and instead of making proclamations about a subject's importance, use facts and attribution to demonstrate that importance. 1. Rajesh K. P. is an assistant professor in the School of Livelihoods and Development, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad. But its infant mortality rate is very low, its literacy rate among the highest on Earth, and its birthrate below America's and falling faster. The ‘Kerala model’ of development has been celebrated in the developmental discourses, especially in the education and health sectors. Especially when you have zero population growth and and emigrating population, that is a serious problems. Kerala has also extended the definition of palliative care to include the long-term chronically ill and even the mentally incapacitated. For example, Kerala’s Model is failing in creating job Market. Subscribe to The Hindu now and get unlimited access. Man-made factors leading to devastation point to the unsustainability of the so-called ‘Kerala Model’, a term used to describe the economic policy underpinning the State’s recent growth and development history. [14][15], While India ranks at the bottom of the Index in overall score, and performs badly on many indicators, Kerala, if measured on the same points, would buck the trend. Printable version | Jan 8, 2021 8:24:06 PM | https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-kerala-model-is-unsustainable/article29213883.ece, To reassure Indian Muslims, the PM needs to state that the govt. This page was last edited on 10 January 2021, at 14:23. The rural literacy rate was almost identical, and female literacy, at 66 per cent, was not far behind. This model was later imbibed by Christian missionaries initiated by the then Archbishop of Verapoly, Bernardo (Giuseppe) Baccinelli, O.C.D., paved the way for an educational revolution in Kerala by making education accessible to all, irrespective of caste or religion. Raj's seminal contribution to development policy thus had worldwide repercussions.[3][4]. High levels of political participation and activism among ordinary people along with substantial numbers of dedicated leaders at all levels. *Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper, crossword and print. To produce the Human Development Report (HDRs), Haq brought together a group of well-known development economists including: Paul Streeten, Frances Stewart, Gustav Ranis, Keith Griffin, Sudhir Anand, and Meghnad Desai. 'KERALA MODEL' OF DEVELOPMENT (lower than China's 19 per 1000), and Kerala's population as a percentage of India's fell from 3.88% in 1971 to 3.44% in 1991.12 What is remarkable is that this reduction was achieved voluntarily and without any coercion. The development standard in Kerala is comparable to that of many first world nations, and is widely considered to be the highest in India at that time. | Photo Credit: Kerala’s principal political parties, irrespective of their ideologies, have responded to commercial interests over the welfare of ordinary people. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a novel initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state government is launching the 'Kerala Dialogue' -- a debate series on new concepts and development models. Female life expectancy in Kerala exceeds that of the male, just as it does in the developed world.,[11] Kerala's maternal mortality rate is :Total: 1.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1990), lowest in India. A pilot project began in the Ernakulam region, an area of 3 million people that includes the city of Kochi. standards but also by standards of most developing countries. This development came about despite a low per capita income. Also, Kerala had been the site of the notable Kerala School which pioneered principles of mathematics and logic, and cemented Kerala's status as a place of learning. It’s a support for truth and fairness in journalism. Introduction The State of Kerala is known all over the world as an educationally advanced part of the country which has many outstanding achievements in the field of education, health, habitat, land reforms etc, generally constitutes what is widely Kerala has the highest per capita public debt among States, implying that we are passing on the bill for our own maintenance to future generations. Unemployment is very high. You have reached your limit for free articles this month. Its adult literacy rate is 94.59 per cent compared to India's 74 and the US's 99. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler. In 2001, Kerala's literacy rate was 91%[23] almost as high as that of China (93%) and Thailand (93.9%). Though mostly a land of paddy-covered plains, statistically Kerala stands out as the Mount Everest of social development; there's truly no place like it. [E-mail: [email protected]] Such investments and mass campaigns have created the transformation. In Section 4, we will focus on his model’s current theoretical and policy relevance. Pulapre Balakrishnan is Professor, Ashoka University, Sonipat and Senior Fellow, IIM Kozhikode. He started the Centre for Development Studies in Thiruvananthapuram in 1971, by the request of the Kerala Chief Minister C Achutha Menon.[3][4]. The economists noted that despite low incomes, the state had high literacy rates, healthy citizens, and a politically active population. 1991 Dec;17(5):30-3. A review of ‘The 'Kerala model' of development: Development and Sustainability in the Third World’ by Dr. Parayil (1996) The results and recommendations of this study came to be known as the 'Kerala model' of equitable growth which emphasised land reforms, poverty reduction, educational access and child welfare. In late 1988, 50,000 volunteers fanned out around the district, tracking down 175,000 illiterates between the ages of 5 and 60, two-thirds of them women. In the overall score, India with a score of 1.9 out of 10 ranked the 40th, behind countries such as Slovakia, Malaysia, Turkey, Brazil and even Uganda. More precisely, the Kerala model has been defined as: The Centre for Development Studies at Thiruvananthapuram with the help of United Nations, conducted a case study of selected issues with reference to Kerala in the 1970s as a part of their study . Criticism of the Kerala Model has been based on its several failures. The job market in Kerala is forcing many to relocate to other places. In pre-colonial Kerala, women, especially those belonging to the matrilineal Nair caste, received an education in Sanskrit and other sciences, as well as Kalaripayattu, a martial art. Floods were not new to Kerala, which receives high rainfall. Communities such as Ezhavas, Nairs and Dalits were guided by monastic orders (called ashrams) and Hindu saints and social reformers such as Sree Narayana Guru, Sree Chattampi Swamikal and Ayyankali, who exhorted them to educate themselves by starting their own schools. Kerala model of development experience had been characterized by high social sector development with poor economic performance. Kerala Model of development is based on bottom up and state driven development as against “Gujarat Model” which encapsulates primary growth and private-entrepreneurship driven development. Initiatives to bring up knowledge institutions like in Kerala was under the active consideration of the Assam Government, he told reporters here. We also reiterate here the promise that our team of reporters, copy editors, fact-checkers, designers, and photographers will deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda. However, in 1990, Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq changed the focus of development economics from national income accounting to people centered policies. Truth is that public policy is part of the problem. The following table shows the literacy rate of Kerala from 1951 to 2011, measured every decade:[24], In 1957 Kerala elected a communist government headed by EMS Namboothiripad, introduced the revolutionary Land Reform Ordinance. Criticism of the Human Development Index (HDI) Critics argue that the HDI assigns weights to certain factors that are equal trade-offs, when … Only seven – Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Switzerland, Turkey and UK – have national policies, while four others – Austria, Canada, Ireland and Italy – are in the process of drafting one. The origins of the term 'Kerala Model' go back to a study done in the 1970s by economists associated with the Centre for Development Studies in Thiruvananthapuram. "[11][22], The Pallikkoodam, a school model started by Buddhists was prevalent in the Kingdom of Travancore. Strikes, agitations, and stirs, a sort of wildcat job action, are so common as to be almost unnoticeable. The ‘Kerala Model’ is about systematic State investment in education and health. “Kerala model” has been referred to as a paradox of social development and economic backwardness. His theory of four stages of cognitive development, first presented in the mid-20th century, is one of the most famous and widely-accepted theories in child cognitive development to this day. We promise to deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda. Lauded for the high human development indicators it is believed to have bestowed upon the State, this construct contributed to a self-congratulatory discourse within the power elite. Political history in Kerala shows a trend of an alternating elected Communist led Left Democratic Front governments and Congress led United Democratic Front governments, which results in an increase in public welfare activities, much to the benefit of the common man. harv error: no target: CITEREFMcKibben2006 (, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, promotes the subject in a subjective manner, personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay, "Introduction: Is Kerala's Development Experience a Model? Public policy has failed miserably to regulate land use including rampant quarrying, which destabilises the earth’s surface, with political patronage. [citation needed], By 1981, the general literacy rate in Kerala was 70 per cent – almost twice the all-India rate of 36 per cent. It is this that marks the NNPC out from more medical-oriented and expensive systems in use elsewhere," said the report. From the starting of this index, Kerala has scored high, comparable to developed countries. This level of learning by non-Brahmin learning was not seen in other parts of India. However, its role as an alternative model of development makes Kerala of huge importance in the question of whether a similarly radical set of … They need to acknowledge that their consumption pattern must change as it has adversely impacted the natural environment, the consequences of which have begun to hurt them. ", "Is the Kerala Model Sustainable? The Vedic learning of the Nambudiris is an unaltered tradition that still holds today, and is unique for its orthodoxy, unknown to other Indian communities. The report said twenty nine out of the 40 countries studied have no formal palliative care strategy, revealed the report. K. K. George (1993:119) cites figures indicating that Punjab spends more per capita on education and The high rate of education in the region has resulted in a brain drain, with many citizens migrating to other parts of the world for employment. Another decade down the road, the Millennium Development Goals, embracing many of the Kerala Model's features – with the notable omission of land reforms – became the new charter of development. Enjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations. Authors K P Kannan, K R Thankappan, V Ramankutty, K P Aravindan. Kerala's mass activism and committed cadre were able to function within a largely democratic structure, which their activism has served to reinforce. research-based model of moral development in academic psychology and in schools of education. CONCLUSION • Kerala…..a place that offers real hope for the future of the Third World • Despite its achievements, the model is heavily criticised for the low industrial development and high levels of unemployment. To come out of this morass the people of Kerala would have to rely on themselves. While countries such as Taiwan and Hungary have managed to get on the top 15 of the index, one possible reason cited for the poor show by India and China is their large population, with the care coverage reaching only a fraction of those in need. The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. In the late 1970s Kerala ranked number one in 15 out of 21 Indian states with respect to selected infrastructural and basic services. [10] Kerala's birth rate is 14 per 1,000 females and falling fast. [citation needed], Kerala had been a notable centre of Vedic learning, having produced one of the most influential Hindu philosophers, Adi Shankaracharya. You can support quality journalism by turning off ad blocker or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to The Hindu. Kerala-model development to be implemented in Assam: Minister. Then in 2017 the Pinarayi Vijayan government relaxed the rules for quarrying further. [5][6], The basis for the state's impressive health standards is the statewide infrastructure of primary health centres. Economy professor K. N. Raj was the main person behind this study. Under water: Chengannur in Alappuzha district of Kerala on August 19, 2018. Kerala: a unique model of development Health Millions. This year it is the landslides that have caused most deaths. The floodgates were opened in 2015 when the Congress party did away with environmental clearance for quarries in existence for three years. Classical Roots and Lewisian Offshoots It is usually claimed that Lewis’ simple model is based on classical school foundations, 2. 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