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Kerala first among states in India in education sector
K
erala has come out first among states in the country in the sectors of education, micro -f i nance, agriculture, marketing and investment in a survey conducted by a leading magazine. In last year`s survey, Kerala was in the second place among the states. Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu secured the second and third positions this year. Goa topped the list of best governed states in the smaller states category. The survey pointed out a ten per cent increase in domestic production in Kerala, indicated that the economic recession had not affected the state. In the education sector, the teacher-student ratio
had become 1:25 as against the national ratio of 2:100. The per capita income of citizens in the state had also increased. The
Hamid Ansari unhappy over poor State funding for education
V
ice President Hamid Ansari has expressed concern over the decline in State funding in key social sector programmes, including education. Dr. Ansari was recently quoted as saying, “The money allocated for key CentrallySponsored Social Schemes — Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), 6 < CAREERCONNECT < September 2016
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, and National Health Mission — had declined by around eight per cent, six per cent and three per cent respectively over the last two years.” He also added that besides enhancing government investments in education, the funding levels of other social welfare schemes, especially those operating in the rural sector, need to be maintained to ensure that the falling income of parents does not impact the educational prospects of children. Mr. Ansari pointed out that public services like school education are the key to nurturing participatory growth. “Financing of education in India remains inadequate. The total public expenditure for education, at less than 3.5 per cent of the GDP, is currently well below the six per cent commitment made in various national policies,” he said. Lauding the achievements of Kerala, Mr. Ansari said that the spread of education in the State had led to the enhancement of individual freedom and capacity to assert one’s rights for better health care. It has also created a better climate for gender equality, besides leading to faster reduction in poverty, he said.
magazine described Kerala as a state that had achieved economic growth and human resource development.
Indians in UK most educated
T
he Indian-origin population in the UK tends to be more educated and less unemployed when compa red to ot her et h n ic minorities, according to a new report released today, even as it warned that Britain must tackle the problem of an “entrenched” race divide in the cou nt r y. In some cases, Indians out-per for med even t he Br it ish population with a higher percentage increase in those with degree level qualifications. “Since 2008, all ethnicities have seen an increase in the proportion with a degree-level qualification, however compared with the increase for white people (5.9 percentage points), I ndians saw the largest increase (18.1 percentage points),” says the report by the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission. “The lowest u nemploy ment rate was among Indians (9.2 per cent) and the highest among Pakistanis/ B a n g l a d e s h i s (17. 3 p e r c e n t) , African/Caribbean people (15.5 per cent) and mixed ethnic minorities (15.2 per cent),” it said.