Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal on Wednesday defended his Budget proposals concerning foreign university campuses and private universities by portraying them as a requirement of the changing times.
In his reply to the general discussion on the State Budget in the Assembly, Mr. Balagopal said the Budget mentioned that opportunities for establishing foreign university campuses would be examined. Such proposals, according to him, were key to stemming the outflow of students from the State. Approximately 30,000 students were leaving Kerala annually. “Which means, Kerala is losing around ₹10,000 crore which would otherwise have been spent here,” he said.
In the past, the CPI(M) had opposed the advent of tractors in the farm sector to protect the employment of farm labourers. One cannot equate that situation with the present one where the younger generation was leaving the State not just for higher studies, but jobs and emigration as well, Mr. Balagopal said.
