Three-day Global Meet “Kerala Looks Ahead” to Begin on Feb 1

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate on February 1 the high-profile three-day virtual global conclave “Kerala Looks Ahead “(KLA) that seeks to lay down the roadmap for Kerala’s long-term development by factoring in perspectives from top economists, industry leaders, administrators and planners amid a changed world order.

Industry stalwarts Ratan Tata, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Azim Premji and Anand Mahindra and Nobel laureate Prof Amartya Sen are among the speakers to address various sessions of the meet. Nobel laureate economist Professor Joseph Stiglitz and Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist with World Health Organisation (WHO), will address the Inaugural Session on February 1.

Hosted by the Kerala State Planning Board, the conference & consultation will look at suggestions and the best practices to achieve a paradigm shift in the state’s progress, by building on historic achievements in welfare and invigorating growth and development through a long-term economic vision and infusion of technology into key sectors.

The brochure and schedule of the event were released by Planning Board Vice Chairperson Prof V K Ramachandran and Member Secretary Dr Venu V at a press conference here today.

“Kerala is poised for a major transformation and as decided by the Chief Minister we are looking at specific areas where technology and science can play a pivotal part. The conference will help us learn from the best practices from the national and international levels,” Prof Ramachandran said.

“At a time when we are making efforts to shape tomorrow’s Kerala, this conference will help key sectors that need deeper insights to fast track the transformation of the state into a knowledge economy,” Dr Venu said.

“About four months effort has gone into planning the meet and reaching out to the participants from across the spectrum. We have been successful in getting together international organisations like WHO, ILO, UNWTO and the Nobel winning World Food Programme,” Dr Venu added.

Nine themes of deliberations, to be covered by different sessions, are primary sector (agriculture, fisheries and animal resources development), modern industrial possibilities, higher education (including international academic collaboration), skill development, tourism, information technology, e-governance, local governments, and federalism and development financing.

“It is important that a conference of this dimension is taking place when Kerala is set to initiate its 14th Five Year Plan (2022-27). The insights and suggestions emerging from the meet could become valuable inputs for the plan,” said Prof V K Ramachandran.

“The deliberations of the conclave can not only provide perspective on modifying our targets on health, education, social inclusion and gender justice but also give us a direction on application of modern science and technology in sectors such as agriculture, industry, IT, transport and, other large-scale infrastructure facilities,” Dr Venu said.

The deliberations will take place on February 2 on Agriculture, Federalism & Development Financing, IT, E-Governance and Local Governments in the forenoon session and on Agriculture – Animal Resource Development & Fisheries, Skill Development, Industry, Tourism, Local Governments, E-Governance and Higher Education in the afternoon session.

A special session on Industry will be held on the final day, ahead of the valedictory session.

The Special Industry session on February 3 would also be attended by Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson of Biocon Limited, Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairperson of Axilor Ventures, M A Yusuff Ali, Chairperson of Lulu Group, Ravi Pillai, Managing Director of RP Group and Dr Azad Moopen, Chairperson and Managing Director of Aster Medcity.

Experts who will speak in different sessions include Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research; Dr Modadugu Vijay Gupta, Former Assistant Director General, World Fish Centre; Prof Patrick Heller, Prof of Sociology, Watson Institute, Brown University; Prof Ju-Ho Lee, Former Minister of Science, Technology and Education, Republic of Korea and S D Shibulal. Co-founder of Infosys.

Thematic sessions on Software, Hardware, Agriculture and Animal Husbandry were held last week, setting the context for wider discussions and drawing conclusions at the meet.

Registration for the Conference is not required. To participate, please log onto www.keralalooksahead.com.