Kerala CM flags ulterior motives behind narratives targeting Kerala

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday expressed concern over attempts to defame Kerala through films with ulterior motives.

While apparently referring to the controversy surrounding The Kerala Story 2, he also stressed that students must be capable of recognising and countering such narratives by having a clear understanding of the State’s history and present-day achievements.

He was speaking while inaugurating the grand finale, valedictory ceremony and prize distribution of the first edition of the Chief Minister’s Mega Quiz organised by the State government.

According to him, Kerala has transformed from a place where education was once denied to one where every child now receives quality education. Today’s students are the final links in a historic transformation and must understand that history and the changes the State has undergone.

Textbook distribution

The Chief Minister added that the government has begun distributing textbooks for the present academic year as he recalled a time when books were unavailable even halfway through the year. Besides, Kerala has progressed from a period when around a thousand schools faced closure to becoming a State with modern labs and facilities.

He added that the State has become a place people long to see, though not long ago it faced issues such as waste-filled roads. A waste-free Kerala became possible through the Haritha Kerala Mission. Students must also be aware of Kerala’s achievements in healthcare, especially in palliative care.

NSS Higher Secondary School, Madavoor, won the quiz in the school category, while the Karyavattom campus of Kerala University emerged victorious in the college category.

In the school category, GHSS and VHSS Kalanjoor secured second place, while Government College, Chittur, came second in the college category.

On January 12

The grand finale of the Chief Minister’s Mega Quiz was held at Government College for Women, Thiruvananthapuram, with 40 teams participating in the college category and 41 teams in the school category. The quiz began on January 12 at school and college levels, and qualified teams from various districts competed in the grand finale.

General Education Minister V. Sivankutty presided over the function.