Three-day International Conference on Development and Democracy to open on Sunday in Thiruvananthapuram

A three-day ‘Vision 2031: An International Conference on Development and Democracy’ organised by the Kerala State Planning Board will open in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday (February 15).

Renowned economists, policy and planning experts and scholars from across the globe will participate in the event which aims to evolve a development perspective for Kerala for the period up to 2031, Planning Board vice-chairman V.K. Ramachandran said here on Friday.

The conference will review the past ten years of development in the State, examine national and international best practices as part of formulating a long-term perspective for the State’s development, Mr. Ramachandran said.

“2031 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the State of Kerala. Vision 2031 is a wide-ranging effort to consolidate and evaluate the gains of social and economic development in the State, and to formulate new policies and create new perspectives for the future,” Prof. Ramachandran said.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the conference at 4 p.m. on Sunday at the Sankaranarayanan Thampi Members’ Lounge of the Kerala Legislative Assembly. Renowned economist Amartya Sen and historian Romila Thapar will join the inaugural session online. The Ambassador of Palestine to India Abdullah Abu Shawesh, World Food Prize laureate Shakuntala Haraksingh Thilsted also will be among the speakers.

The conference will bring together over 3,500 delegates and over 150 speakers in 20 multi-sectoral conference sessions across nine venues across the capital city.

On February 16 (Monday), eighteen thematic seminars will be held across the nine venues, Planning Board expert member Jiju P. Alex said. Themes include labour rights, women empowerment, inclusive development, mobilisation of financial resources for development, environmental sustainability and climate mitigation, social empowerment, modernisation of sectors such as agriculture, education, skilling and health and scientific conservation of energy and water resources.

The Chief Minister will address the closing ceremony at the Sankaranarayanan Thampi Hall on February 17. A seminar, ‘Secularism, Democracy and Consultative Government,’ is planned on the occasion. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah; Member of Parliament, Kanimozhi; former Delhi High Court Chief Justice, A.P. Shah; director of The Hindu Group (THG), N. Ram; and Planning Board vice-chairman V.K. Ramachandran are among the speakers.

The three-day conference follows 34 thematic seminars organised by government departments in October and November last year. “For the Government of Kerala, the formulation of public policy is an exercise in people’s participation, and involves the widest possible consultations with experts and all sections of the people before it is finalised. The ‘Vision 2031’ effort is a continuation of that effort,” Prof. Ramachandran said.