KERALA MODEL

1. FEATURES OF
K E R A LA M O D E L D E V E L O P M E N T

2.  Can the poorest of a poor
country lead decent lives?
 Do they have access to
adequate health care?
 Adequate Minimum wage?
 Be the President of
Singapore?
 C,V.DEVAN NAIR(3rd president)
 Win an Oscar?
THE ANSWER IS
YES, YES AND YES!

3. Serve Hot tea to Armstrong on 20 July
1969?

4. This state has proved the
development experts
wrong!

5. How did they achieve it?

7. How the
term ‘Kerala
model’
coined?
• In the early 1970’s the renowned economist KN Raju and
his colleagues conducted a study sponsored by the UN
based on the topic ‘state s economic and social
development’.

8. Although KN Raju did not use the term ‘Kerala model’
in the study …..but later through the writings of
Amartya Sen, Jean Drez …etc popularized this term….

9.  “ India does not need to look else where for
development pointers. Yet there is much that
India can learn from Kerala's development
experience”.
 He adds …. “Kerala despite its low income level
has achieved more than even some of the most
admired high growth economies…..what kerala
has achieved with very low per capita income
and growth is so remarkable”

10. The Centre for Development Studies at
Thiruvananthapuram with the help of United Nations,
conducted a case study of selected issues with
reference to Kerala in 1970s. The result and
recommendations of this study came to be known as
the ‘Kerala Model’ of equitable growth which
emphasized land reforms, poverty reduction,
educational access and child welfare. Economic
professor K. N Raj was the main person behind this
study. He started the Centre for Development
Studies in Thiruvananthapuram in 1971, by the
request of the Kerala Chief Minister C Achutha
Menon

11. THE KERALA MODEL
DEFINITION
1.A SET OF HIGH MATERIAL QUALITY
OF LIFE INDICATORS COINCIDING WITH
LOW PERCAPITA INCOMES, BOTH
DISTRIBUTED ACROSS NEARLY THE
ENTIRE POPULATION OF KERALA.

12. 2.A SET OF WEALTH AND RESOURCES
REDISTRIBUTION PROGRAMMES THAT
HAVE LARGELY BROUGHT ABOUT THE
HIGH MATERIAL QUALITY OF LIFE
INDICATORS.
3.HIGH LEVEL OF POLITICAL
PARTICIPATION AND ACTIVISM AMONG
ORDINARY PEOPLE ALONG WITH
SUBSTANCIAL NUMBERS OF DEDICATED

13. This state has achieved improvements in material
conditions of living, reflected in indicators of social
development, comparable to those of many developed
countries, even though the State’s per capita income is
low in comparison to them.
Achievements such as growth and high levels of
infant mortality and population growth, and high
levels of literacy and life expectancy, along with the
factors responsible for such achievements have been
considered characteristic result of Kerala Model.

14.  The economists noted that despite low
incomes, the state had high literacy rates,
healthy citizens, and politically active
population.
 The development standards in Kerala is
comparable to that of many first world
nations, and is widely considered to be
the highest in that time.

15. FEATURES OF KERALA MODEL
DEVELOPMENT

16. 1.Human Development Index
Kerala’s rating of HDI is 0.790 is the highest in India,
resulting mainly from the vast improvements the state
has made in the fields of sanitation, health, education
and poverty-reduction. The state’s poverty rate lingers
at 7.05%, just below Goa while the national rate stands
at 21.92%. The figures were released by the Reserve
Bank of India in 2013. Social welfare programmes
initiated by the kingdoms of Cochin, Travancore and
the Zamorins of Calicut are largely to have resulted in
the state always ahead of other regions in the country
much before independence.

17. Rank State/Union Territory
consumption
based HDI[11]
(2007–08)
HDI 2015[12]
– National average 0.513 0.6087
1 Kerala 0.790 0.712
2 Delhi 0.750 N/A
3 Himachal Pradesh 0.652 0.670
4 Goa 0.617 N/A
5 Punjab 0.605 0.6614
6 NE (excluding Assam) 0.573 N/A
7 Maharashtra 0.572 0.6659
8 Tamilnadu 0.570 0.6663
9 Haryana 0.552 0.6613
10 Jammu and Kashmir 0.542 0.649
11 Gujarat 0.527 0.6164
12 Karnataka 0.519 0.6176
13 West Bengal 0.492 0.604
14 Uttarakhand 0.490 N/A
15 Andhra Pradesh 0.473 0.6165
16 Assam 0.444 0.598
17 Rajasthan 0.434 0.577
18 Uttar Pradesh 0.380 0.542
19 Jharkhand 0.376 N/A
20 Madhya Pradesh 0.375 0.557
21 Bihar 0.367 0.536

18. 18 TH CENTUARY –CASTE HIERARCHY
EDUCATION DETERMINED BY SOCIO ECONOMIC STATUS
UPPER CASTE – TOTAL CONTROL
SITUATION BEGAN TO CHANGE 19 TH CENTUARY
Education system of kerala has evolved to its present level
through a long process of social intervention by govt.,various
social reformers and private organisations.(salim and nair 2002)
 Mass movement of education solved basic problems
 It helped the state attain remarkable position at national level
EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

19. 20 th centuary –social reforms and radical
movement
Struggle for education right of depressed
Govt,policies and packages for mass education
Advent of european missionaries
C M S Missionaries
Private agencies
Commercialisation of education-admission
appoinment –corruption
Kerala education bill 1957 –to control private
education
 100% literacy rate – outreach program 1981 with 20,000
volunteers

20. year Total Males Females
1951
Kerala India Kerala India kerala India
47.18 18.33 58.35 27.16 36.43 8.86
1961 55.08 28.30 64.89 40.39 45.56 15.33
1971 69.75 34.45 77.13 45.95 62.53 21.97
1981 81.60 43.60 84.56 56.40 73.36 29.80
1991 89.81 52.20 93.62 64.10 86.17 39.30
2001 90.92 65.20 94.20 75.60 87.86 54.00
2011 93.9 74 96 82.1 92 65.5
LITERACY RATE IN KERALA IN COMPARE WITH
NATIONAL LEVEL
Source: census reports of various periods

21. Literacy rate
Nation Rate [%]
India 74
China 96.4
USA 99.7
Literacy [total] male female
Kerala 94% 96% 92%

22.  Gender based literacy rate –remarkable progress
Significant progress in literacy before
independence
Female literacy is a main factor that influenced
demographic transition and health care
improvement.

23.  2011 Kerala has 94% literacy rate. It
was 90% during 2001 census.
Kottayam tops in this literacy rate
with 97.2% and wayanad has the
lowest 72%.

24. 2.Health care development
Before introducing western medicines state have
a long history of organised traditional health care
system
Ayurveda
Princely rulers concerned about health care
Initiatives in making western system of medical
care available to people.
Dr,.Mary punnen Lukose –first lady doctor
appointment in indian state
A royal proclamation in 1879 maid vaccination
compulsory

25.  Primary health care was started in rural
areas and general hospital in
Trivandrum , cochin about 150 years
ago.
 Establiment of mission hospital in
remote area.
 Younger girls from Christian community
in Kerala where keen to take up nursing
as a career(raman kutty 2000)

26.  After the formation of Kerala the govt laid
more emphasizes on health care system
which was to accessible to all citizens .
 The sustained effort of govt along with high
literacy especially female literacy was
major correlates to this achievement.
 High literacy rate among womens
contributed much for this lower birth rate.

28. Health
PQLI HDI Fertility Birth Death Life
expecta
ncy
Kerala 90.5 .79 1.6 14.7 6.9 74
India 65 .6 2.4 21.4 7 66
USA 76 .9 1.9 13.4 8 79
China 68 .7 1.7 12.2 7 75
Kerala 1970-
71
80-81 90-91 2001 2009 2010 2011
BR 32.26 25.5 20.3 16 14.6 14.7 14.8
DR 9.23 6.4 6.1 6.6 6.6 6.8 7
IMR 61 37 21 11 12 14 13

29. Developments in the Health sector
• high life expectancy at birth.
• Low birth and death rate
• Low Infant mortality=15 per 1000
• Hi tech methods of diagnosis and therapy
• Virtual elimination of many communicable
diseases.
• More than 3600 Govt medical institutions in the
state.
• More than 38,000 beds in govt hospitals
• 67,000 in pvt sector,

30.  vision is that all people, no matter where they
live, no matter what their age, have a right to
access high quality and affordable healthcare
Emphasis on Primary Prevention.
2700 Government medical institutions
300 beds per 100,000 people

32. Universal Health Coverage
Health care and financial protection to
all citizens
Sub replacement fertility level
Lowest Infant Mortality level
Baby friendly state

33. Health Care System
Sub center- 5,000
Primary Health Center – 30,000
Community Health Center – 230,000
Secondary and Tertiary Health care Centers
•Kerala is the world’s first “baby-friendly state”
according to WHO and UNICEF because of its
effective promotion of breast-feeding over
formulas. For example, more than 95% of births
take place in a hospital.

34. Primary prevention plays pivotal role
Communicable diseases
Immunization camps
Health education to mother and children
Training Health workers and Accredited
Social Health Activist
Pain and palliative center
•Generally, Keralites are health conscious.

35. Problems needed to tackle
Vector borne diseases- Dengue, Chikungunya,
Malaria
Water-borne diseases- Diarrhoea, Dysentry,
Typhoid
Rising levels of NCD- Diabestes mellitus, CAD
Suicide
Indoor Air Pollution – biomass fuel

36. In 2016, allocated a part of its budget
towards the employment and skill
training programs for transgenders in
Kerala
Kerala in 2016, introduced free Sex
Reassignment Surgery (SRS) through
government hospitals.

37. 3.Demographic Transition in Kerala
Four stage of demographic transition in development
process
First stage BR and DR are high
Second stage fall in DR and increase population
Third stage stability through declining BR
Last stage BR and DR are low
Kerala shows that demographic transition is possible
even in underdeveloped economies with high life
expectancy and population control,less birth rate,low death
rate,and infant mortality rate.(zachariya and Irudaya
Rajan,1997)

40. Source :economic review

41.  GENDER EQUALITY
Kerala 1084/1000
India 943
China 1158
USA 950
South korea 1070
Among the districts Kannur has the highest sex
ratio[1136] Idukki is the lowest[1006]

42. RURAL-URBAN EQUALITY
Kerala have a rural urban continuum.
Almost all facilities available in urban area can
be accessed by the rural area except in some tribal
or coastal areas.
In all rural area, there are market, schools, post
office, hospitals and other basic facilities. Even if
any facilities is absent, it can be accessible within
2 to 5 km.

43. A survey was conducted in finding out
the accessibility of 22 basic facilities in
India and Kerala ranks first with 17 out of
22 facilities.
A noteworthy feature is that all social
groups have equal access to public well,
prayer centres, market centres etc.

44. FALL IN POVERTY
According to the statistics, the poverty rate in Kerala is
declining from 70 to below 20.
Compared to other states, we are in a far better position.
Kerala is in the 5th position. (Punjab, Haryana,
Himachal Pradesh, J&K)
The reduction in poverty is achieved by various social
measures.
Land reform was instrumental in reducing poverty
Foreign remittances and PDS also are important factors.

45. 4.Land reform and changing agrarian relation
Fuedal relation-travancore,cochin,malabar
Landless farmers evicted from their land
Land Reform Bill introduced by first communist govt.
paved the foundation of modern kerala.
Main goals are
.1 reduction of poverty among rural people
2.land to the tillers
3.strengthening the asset base of rural poor
4. increasing agricultural productivity
Reform are necessary not only for bringing about equity
and social justice,but also as sound foundation for viable
growth (Heller,1999)

46. 1966-‘67 1976-‘77 1990-‘91 2006-‘07
Size of Land
Holding % Average % Average % Average % Average
holding size holding size holding size holding Size
Margina
l < 1 ha 82 0.28 87.1 0.24 92.6 0.18 95.3 0.15
Small 1-2 9 1.43 8.4 1.37 5.2 1.36 3.7 0.90
Semi-Medium 2-4 7 2.79 3.4 2.70 1.8 2.60 0.66 2.40
Medium 4-10 2 5.60 1.0 5.49 0.4 5.27 0.30 5.01
Large > 10 0.5 19.86 0.1 19.06 0.06 55.74 .04 53.20
All 0.74 0.49 0.34 0.23
Pattern of Operational Holdings
Source : Agriculture Census

47. •The land holding size decreased remarkably after land reform
• percentage share increased
•Everyone had a small pieace of land
•Created a feeeling of security
•Motivation for their uplift
DECLINING CASTE INEQUALITY
 Reduction in cast inequality is one
of the clearest consequences of land
reform
Namputiri income rose far less rapidly than other casts

48. Social and economic mobility
High paid wage labour,
Number of wage earners in the household
Access to reservation
Targeted development programme
Lndloards response to land reform
Send their childrens for higher education

49. 5.Public distribution system
PDS improved living condition of common peostple
Attract social scientist including UN.
Essential food to common people
The system has two stand
1.comprehensive ration shop system –ensure minimum
food supply
2.school and nursery feeding programme.
PDS of kerala is more succesful than other indian state.
Give basic nutrition support to the people
Nutrition level improved after 1970
Household consumption level were higher than indian
average in the last year of 1980(Ramachandran,1995)

50.  48.81 Lakhs ration cards in kerala in 1980o
eased t.which increased to 70.20 lakhs in
2007.
Food corporation depos decreased –part of
policy shift in central govt.
Remarkable increase in civil supplies
corporations

51. 6.Social welfare initiatives
 protecting weaker and marginalised sections
Unemployed allowance and old age pensions
47 social welfare schemes
Classification
1. Social assistance schemes
2. Pension schemes
3. Welfare fund schemes
4. Group insurance schemes (Thomas 2007)
 Major achievement is introduction of schemes in
unorganised sector

52.  Welfare schemes include
1. Monthly pension
2. Disability pension
3. Educational grants to childrens
4. Interest free loans
5. Maternity benefit
6. Marriage benefits
7. House building advances
8. Medical assistance

53. Unemployment assistance
Govt. of kerala introduced an unemployment assistant
scheme in 1982.
Goal of the scheme was to protect people who have
passed secondary school levels and have registered in
employment exchanges for three years or more.

54. Agricultural workers pension schemes
Govt. has framed kerala agricultural workers pension
rules 1980
The rule provides payment of pension to agriculture
workers who completed 60 years of age after 1 april 1980
According to this rule all agricultural workers in kerala
with annual income less than Rs 1500 are eligible to get
this pension

55. 7. political participation and
activism
High levels of political
participation and activism
among ordinary people along
with substantial numbers of
dedicated leaders at all levels.
Kerala’s mass activism and
committed cadre were able to
function within a largely
democratic structure, which
their activism has served to
reinforce.


56. Egalitarian Politics
Democracy
LDF vs UDF - Alternating
every five years
Public Agitations, Strikes,
and Stirs common
High Minimum wage
Land Reforms and
redistribution of wealth

57. Women Empowerment
Matriarchal society
Sex ratio 1.084 (1084 females
per 1000 males)
Literate women
Average age of marriage 24
Family planning
Free birth control and Liberal
Medical termination of
Pregnancy
State supported Nutrition
program for pregnant women
and new mothers
Breast Feeding initiative

58. MIGRATION AND SUBSEQUANT REMITTANCE

59. International migration before indipendence in kerala
Requirement of skilled and educated manpower for
developed countries aftter second world war.
Post independence migration from kerala consisted of two
stream
1. One to oil producing Gulf countries(unskilled and
semiskilled workers)
2. Developed countries (skilled educated workers)
 Remittance created direct and indirect impact on economy
 Benefited migrants household-increase income level,living
standard ,reduced inequality.

60. Multipler effect of spending
Opportunity for construction workersin kerala
increased migration
Substancial part of remittance invested in
housing construction
Gulf wives learned to manage life which is the
bebefit resulting from migration

61. Crises of kerala model
 Since the late 1970 s many scholare and activists
sounded an alarm.kerala model faces several
problems and shortcoming that taken together can
be called a crises(Thomas Issac and Tharakan
,1995)
 The crises of kerala model has eight major
components
1. keralas SDP has grown much slower than indian
national average since late 1970s

62. 2.stagnation in agricultural production and
dependacy of outside market
3.Escalation of prices for raw materials and
competetion from cheaperlabour sources in
other areas have sent traditional industries
such as coir,cashew,and handloom into a
tailspin(Thomas Issac and Tharakan ,1995)
4.Sluggish industrial growth and even
negative in some years(Mohan ,1994)
5.Unemployment has three times in all india
average (Prakash ,1994)

63. 6.Experianced a serious fiscal crises undermine
many of kerala model redistributional
programmes(George,1993)
7.Upto 15% of peoples may have been left out of the
model
fishing people(kurian,1994)
female stone cutter(Ukkuru,1994)
female domestic servants(Subramony,1994)
female agricultural labours(Mencher,1994)
some tribal peoples(Devi,1994)
many head load and casual laboures
8.environmental crises at large
proportion(Kannan and Pushpangadan,1988)

64. Market take over health,education,and
social welfare could price the poor out of
the process(M A Oommen,1994)
“Accelerated economic growth without
sacrificing the welfare gains and the
democratic achievement of the past”
-E M S Namboodiripad

65. THREATS OF KERALA MODEL
a. Almost stagnant economy
b. Widening gap b/w aspiration of people and
actual achievement.
c. Unbearable fiscal strain
d. Falling gulf remittance and return of foreign
malayalees who cannot provide with minimum
facilities
e. Increasing bondage of global economy
f. Increasing anarchy of administration and in
society
g. Growing cultural degradation
h. Growing apathy to manual work
i. Growing consumerism

66.  A variety of media on one hand and influence
of foreign remittance on other hand has
made kerala an international market for
consumer goods
 Demand of manual labours and high wage
rate attracted labours from other
states.Kerala is their equalent of Gulf.
 During the past 10 to 15 years there is
marked increase in wastage resource in
kerala

67.  Not only durable goods but oversized dwellings
 Bulk part of gulf remittance and domestic savings go
for housing construction.
 Isolated buildings,and fully detached surrounded by
their own compound has made provision of services
like electricity,water supply,and approach road coastly
 Due to the fiscal crises ,govt,gradually withdrawing
from responsibilities and allowing commercialisation
of social sector.
 Share of the poorest consumption marginally declined
from 2.81% to 2.41 in 1993 to 2005 where as richest
increasd from 29% to 34%
 Improper implimentation of land reform

68.  land reform categorised people into two
1.those who have land and unable to cultivate
2.those who have labour and skills but not
enough land to their own to cultivate
 As a result workers began to migrate
agriculture to construction field
 This caused rise in farm wage
disproportionate to the yield
 Land become more of premium commodity
and keep it merely as a real estate investment

69.  Re emergence of self financing institutions
 People with business interest started several
professional and higher education
institutions exploiting govt. limitations for
funding higher education.
 Rising price of land,sand and bricks

70. conclusion
 Kerala model is an illution
 A result of 4 or 5 decades of dependent
economy
A result of lopsided development( in social
sector)
Neither sustainable nor desirablein itself.
 The cause of underdevelopment it ate up all
the surpluses and left nothing for the
productive invt.

71. STRENGTH
 High HDI
 Gender equality
 Literacy
 Health and infrastructure
 Standard of sanitation
 Housing coverage
 Women empowerment
 Family planning
 Population stabilisation
 Migration and its benefits
 Social justice

72.  Welfare and security
 Public distribution system
 Progress of poverty allievation
 Strong plantation economy
 Land reform
 Success of decentralisation
 Democratic public action
 Cultural harmoney

73. Weakness
 Chronic unemployment
 Deficiency in the field of education
 Increasing morbidity and deteriorating public
health service
 Irrigation missmanagement
 Agricultural stagnation
 Power deficiency
 Public sector inefficiency
 Industrial stagnation
 Poor investment climate and low investment
 Headload workers:harthal and bandh

74.  Environmental deterioration
 Poor waste management
 Excessive partisan politics
 Poor central allocation of funds
 Poor state financing
 Persistant gap in justice for women
 Deprived population –ST and fishermens
 Consumerist culture
 Lack of focus and monitoring
 Falling gulf remittance and increasing return of
migrants,the question of migrant labours
 Labour indeciplines

75. OPPERTUNITIES
 Tourism
 Information technology
 Manpower development and export
 Mineral development
 Public private partnership
 Global destination in education

76.  But the state shown to the world that it is
possible to provide optimum welfare with
minimum income .

77. Today’s greed is tomorrows need

78. References
1.economic development of kerala-
Retrospect and prospects
-K V Velayudan
2.kerala’s development experiances
-M A Oommen