Higher education decline fuelling migration, unemployment in Kerala: Shrinate

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate on Monday launched a sharp attack on Kerala’s higher education system, alleging a steady decline marked by rising unemployment, increasing student migration, and a growing drug menace, while holding the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) government responsible.

Addressing a press conference in Kochi ahead of the 9 April assembly elections, Shrinate said that despite Kerala being India’s most literate state, the condition of its higher education sector was “deeply concerning”.

She claimed that student migration from the state has doubled since 2020, with nearly 2.5 lakh students moving out in search of better educational and career opportunities. “This indicates that our institutions are not keeping pace with national and global standards,” she said.

Shrinate further alleged that many colleges were functioning as “degree factories”, pointing out that 40–50 per cent of undergraduate seats remain vacant despite claims of expansion. She also flagged a lack of alignment with emerging global trends such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data-driven education, which she said was adversely affecting employability.

Citing data, she said youth unemployment in Kerala stands at 29.9 per cent, rising to 47.1 per cent among women. “Education is not translating into jobs, forcing both students and graduates to leave the state,” she said, adding that families are increasingly burdened by the cost of sending children elsewhere for education.

She also questioned the effectiveness of the Kerala Knowledge Economy Mission, which has promised to create 20 lakh jobs. “There is no transparent data to show where these jobs are,” she alleged.

Raising concerns over drug abuse, Shrinate described the situation as “alarming”, citing more than 27,000 cases in 2024 and nearly 87,000 cases reported between 2020 and 2024. She added that around 3,000 school-going children were admitted for de-addiction in 2024 alone, claiming that drug use has spread across schools, colleges, and universities.

Referring to recent cases involving individuals linked to the ruling establishment, including the arrest of the son of late CPI(M) leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and another case involving a legislator’s son, she alleged the possibility of a nexus and termed it a sign of systemic failure.

“Such widespread availability cannot happen without systemic failure,” she said, adding that the issue should not be viewed purely through a political lens.

Shrinate also criticised the state government’s anti-drug initiative, Operation D-Hunt, calling it insufficient to address the scale of the problem.

Outlining the opposition’s proposals, she said the United Democratic Front (UDF) has promised measures such as Rs 1,000 monthly assistance for college-going girls, along with broader reforms to improve education and employment outcomes.

She also targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of pursuing a “majoritarian agenda” and engaging in the polarisation of communities.

The remarks come as Kerala gears up for assembly elections, with education, employment, and social issues emerging as key battlegrounds in the political discourse.

With PTI inputs