Kerala should continue to focus on labour, education, health care:Dr Amartya Sen

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 3 (PTI)Nobel laureate Dr AmartyaSen on Wednesday said Kerala should continue its focus onlabour, education and health care sectors and that he was''veryoptimistic about Kerala looking to the future''.

He was speaking at the conclusion of athree-day globalvirtual conclave organised by the State Planning Board tochart Keralas future in a post-Covid scenario.

Prof Sen said a look at the successes and failures ofKerala would pin the focus on labour ''I would be personally very optimistic about Keralalooking to the future, he noted, citing not just its trackrecord, but unique historical reasons that contributed to thestates success.

He recalled that Keralas first government in 1957triggered animated discussions when the Communist regime sawmovements related to labour, anti-untouchability and educationas a major means of progress.

''Kerala was one of Indias three poorest economies whenthe state was incepted six-and-a-half decades ago.

In a couple of decades, the state not only moved awayfrom that position, but was competing for being one of the topthree in terms of per capita expenditure,'' he said.

The 'Kerala Looks Ahead' conclave gave a call onWednesday for continued social security and highlighted theneed for public discussion that relied heavily on humanity andreasoning,the release said.

''The 22 sessions on nine key sectors got an overwhelmingresponse from experts across the world,''Chief MinisterPinarayi Vijayan noted in the valedictory session.

He said KLA stimulated national and internationaldiscussion between scholars and experts in areas that werepart of the conference and many suggestions had emerged.

''There are issues of long-term and strategic interest tothe state and also recommendations regarding policies that canbe implemented in the short run.'' the government would study these suggestions, which havefrom all over the world, to look at ways they can beincorporated into policy,'' he said.

State Planning Board Vice Chairperson Prof V KRamachandran said Kerala ''is poised for a new leap into itseconomic future.

He said the conference succeeded in its efforts tolearn about the best practices and achievements all over theworld and their relevance to Kerala in a diversity of fields.

Dr Amit Prakash, Associate Professor, Centre for IT andPublic Policy, International Institute of InformationTechnology, Bangalore, Prof K J Joseph, Director of GulatiInstitute of Finance and Taxation were also part of theconclave.