And for another Friday in Trivandrum, visit to the recently inaugurated swanky new Goethe Centrum, some thoughts….. some musings…..
My dear friend Dr. Syed Ibrahim, the Director and also the Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany for Kerala, had kindly invited me for the inauguration of the Goethe Centre. But I was abroad and missed the opportunity. So, was happy to visit now and be shown around the facilities and explained the activities. Honestly, Dr. Syed and his team are doing a remarkable and absolutely outstanding job in providing excellent training and examination facilities in German language. But more than just the core activities, the transparency, sincerity and the highest standards of Governance in all the educational, social and cultural activities carried at the Goethe Centrum in Trivandrum is truly remarkable and made me proud as an Indian, a German-system admirer and a Trivandrumite.
Kerala has European standards of health and life indicators – literacy, longevity, child birth and near zero infant mortality etc. etc. Combined with the very high emphasis on education, the “Services” sector is almost the only opportunity for meaningful employment. Given the limited opportunities in the State, the average young Keralite with their parents’ full backing is preparing themselves to seek employment abroad. The enthusiasm that I have seen in learning German language and the awareness of the opportunities for further higher technical post graduate studies in STEM and thereby qualify for jobs in Germany and Europe is truly admirable. The local Govt is also encouraging young people with organisations like ODEPC (Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultancies) a Govt of Kerala Organisation registered under the Ministry of External affairs of GOI. Already they have facilitated the placements abroad of over 12,788 Nurses from Kerala. In a lighter vein, it is rumoured that of the 198 countries in the world, Malayalees have found entrance and jobs in 197 countries, with just the exception of North Korea.
Irrespective of the high level of politicalisation, Kerala model of development is evolving, transforming and mutating, the evolutionary way, the global opportunity way, the SEEGOS way.