Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan underscored Kerala’s growing attractiveness to international students and the significant reforms underway in the state’s higher education sector during the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Pinarayi Education Hub on Friday, August 23, 2024.
Speaking at the event, Mr Vijayan pointed out that only 4% of Indian students studying abroad are from Kerala, challenging the notion that the state’s educational institutions are subpar.
The new Pinarayi Education Hub, to be developed on 12.93 acres in Pinarayi village, Dharmadam constituency, is part of a ₹285-crore initiative funded by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). The project will house a polytechnic college, IHRD College of Applied Science, ITI, Hospitality Management Institute, and Civil Service Academy, along with supporting facilities such as a guest house, canteen, auditorium, playground, and hostel. An open-air auditorium with a capacity for 2,000 people is also planned.
Mr Vijayan highlighted the increasing influx of foreign students to Kerala, with approximately 2,600 applications received this year alone. 1,590 international students are enrolled at the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), and Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) has received 855 applications. The Chief Minister emphasized that Kerala’s higher education sector is evolving rapidly, with 16 colleges ranking in the top 100 nationwide.
Addressing concerns about the state’s education system, Mr Vijayan criticized media portrayals suggesting its inadequacy and reaffirmed that Kerala’s institutions are competitive nationally. He praised the role of KIIFB in the state’s development, noting its project value has surged from ₹50,000 crore to nearly ₹90,000 crore, exemplifying the success of the Kerala model of development. Minister of Higher Education and Social Justice R. Bindu and Public Works and Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas also spoke at the event.
