Its sheen is fading as threats from emerging social and environmental risks remain, but the question remains how
Kerala has long been known to do many things right. For years a favorite of development experts, NGOs and social activists, the ‘Kerala Model’ shows that impressive levels of human development indicators – in health, education and quality of life, even compared to some wealthy countries – can be Received without an equally high level of income.
Focus on ‘failures’
But in recent times a new debate has erupted over the ‘Kerala model’ of development. Are we not guilty of exporting our unemployment and being overly dependent on remittances? Can you build high growth and strong human development indicators on such a weak basis? Is it sustainable? The focus in new debates on Kerala is increasingly on its failures: low employment, low levels of food and low income, high levels of alcoholism and the country’s worst suicide rate.
After decades of strong social spending and participatory governance, the sheen of the Kerala model is now under threat from emerging social and environmental risks. Indeed, there is an irony here: some of the very strengths of Kerala’s approach have become sources of vulnerability. For example, its high life expectancy is translating into a high death rate from COVID-19.
In the face of rising risks, the Kerala model needs to be revived. The important question is how.
Reflecting the state’s social consequences, Kerala has the highest literacy rate in India, despite only ranking ninth in per capita income among 28 states. But as new global risks emerge in areas ranging from health to climate change, there is a need to strengthen Kerala’s policies and smartly manage new challenges. Severely affected by COVID-19, Kerala’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) contracted in 2019-20 and 2021-22, and unemployment at 9%, much higher than the national average of 6%. The space to revive Kerala’s declining economy is limited due to the high fiscal deficit, around 4% of GSDP.
With smart socio-economic investments, focus on good governance and better management of the environment, these difficulties can be reduced in a meaningful way. Kerala can grow into a knowledge economy, improve the quality of higher education and vocational training to meet the needs of the modern workforce, and build on breakthroughs in tourism and hospitality services. All this will create meaningful employment and increase income.
interventions that reach all
Our focus should be on quantity as well as quality of health and education, and ensure that interventions reach all segments of the population. Basic education should continue to be a priority, but it is higher education that presents a significant opportunity on the global stage for Kerala – a state with high human capital and high population mobility. Played right, Kerala can become a regional, if not national, center for tertiary education in areas such as marine biology, health care and digital technology, where it has considerable expertise.
Kerala was India’s first digital state, with the highest share of households with personal computers and internet connections, mobile phone access, and digital literacy. Digital tools are being widely used in Kerala’s COVID-19 response – for example, India’s application of eSanjeevani, a telemedicine portal, to provide psycho-social support for people battling the virus or its after-effects provides. For example, we can build and extend such approaches to learn from Singapore’s new generation of health apps and technologies.
cracks in the health system
Serious gaps in Kerala’s health system are on the rise. The response to a pandemic that emphasized the wearing of masks and social distancing and tracing got off to a strong start. But infections and deaths skyrocketed in 2021, partly because the population is highly mobile and also because Kerala has lowered its guard in key areas of surveillance. Testing, on the other hand, has been widespread, which helped reveal the infection more transparently. Keeping an edge on health care should be high on the policy agenda.
Another force that needs to be maintained is institutions, state organization at the grassroots level, participatory governance and a free press. The Public Affairs Index 2020 ranked Kerala as the best-governed large state in 2019 based on 50 indicators reflecting equity, growth and sustainability. Decentralized governance, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), volunteer groups and a strong grassroots network of Kudumbashree members helped in pandemic management. While there are lessons for others, Kerala needs to be more agile in public expenditure on health and in developing a local self-distribution system.
the earth matters
One asset that has turned into a worrying flash point is the state’s rich but fragile ecology that needs high protection. Decades of ecological degradation exacerbated the effects of the 2018 floods in Kerala that claimed 483 lives, displaced 14.5 lakh people and cost over ₹40,000 crore. It is important that the Madhav Gadgil Committee report is adopted with minimum necessary modifications to protect vulnerable populations. There is a need to invest in the Western Ghats to cope with ecological disaster and to repair forests, river systems, water bodies and floodplains. The state needs a bold program of forest restoration in keeping with the commitments on forest conservation from over 130 countries in COP26.
Kerala urgently needs to revive its network of rivers, their tributaries and rivers. Until the sandy river bed is restored, sand mining needs to stop. Water management demands periodic release of water from dams, as indicated by the World Commission on Dams. This, along with siltation of dams, can control the amount of flow into dams and the need for sudden releases that increase flooding. The supply of fresh water in Kerala is under threat due to inadequate facilities for water harvesting. Water quality – and people’s health – hurt by domestic waste and industrial waste, calling for better water Treatment,
moment of change
A revived Kerala model would do well to recognize the symbiotic relationship between social outcomes, environmental management and participatory governance, and to take action that cuts across these areas. It is the time of resurrection. We must open our mental horizons to the world, advance our shoplifting ideologies and create favorable investment and business conditions for sustainable development.
A prerequisite for achieving sustainable development would be to change perceptions of the state in our highly political environment, particularly the notorious strike On marginal political issues that have shunned investment. Political parties may differ on the exact policies and investments required, but they must come together on a platform that transcends their differences. Sri Narayana Guru famously said, “Matham Athyalum, Manushyan NannyalMath – Whatever his religion, it is enough for a man to be good.” Similarly, Kerala has to say, “Rashtriya Athyam, Rashtriya nannyalMath Whatever be the politics, it is enough for the country to be better.
Shashi Tharoor is a Member of Parliament (Congress) from Thiruvananthapuram (Lok Sabha). Vinod Thomas is a visiting professor at the National University of Singapore
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