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What is identified as the primary cause of 'Brain Drain' in Kerala, leading to large-scale migration of the educated youth?

AHigh quality of the population.

BExcellent banking network.

CFailure in generating employment opportunities.

DHigh GSDP and per capita income growth.

Answer:

C. Failure in generating employment opportunities.

Read Explanation:

Understanding Brain Drain in Kerala

  • Brain Drain refers to the emigration or migration of highly skilled or educated individuals from a particular country or region. In Kerala's context, it signifies the large-scale movement of its educated youth to other states within India or to foreign countries.

Primary Cause: Failure in Employment Generation

  • Limited Job Opportunities: Kerala, despite its high literacy rates and excellent human development indicators, faces a significant challenge in creating sufficient and diverse employment opportunities for its educated workforce.

  • Industrial Backwardness: The state's industrial sector has not grown commensurately with its educational advancements. This leads to a dearth of jobs, particularly in manufacturing and high-tech industries.

  • Mismatch in Skills: Often, the skills acquired by graduates do not align with the available job market demands within the state, leading to underemployment or unemployment.

  • Preference for Government Jobs: A historical preference for secure government jobs and limited growth in the private sector also contributes to the problem.

  • Lack of Diversification: While Kerala excels in the service sector (tourism, healthcare), high-paying, innovative jobs in research and development, IT product development, or advanced manufacturing are scarce.

Impact of Brain Drain

  • Loss of Human Capital: The migration of talented individuals results in a significant loss of intellectual and human capital, which could otherwise contribute to the state's development.

  • Reduced Innovation: It hinders innovation, entrepreneurship, and the growth of new businesses within the state, as many potential innovators move elsewhere.

  • Demographic Shift: Continuous out-migration can lead to an aging population and a shortage of young, productive workers in the long run.

  • Economic Stagnation: While remittances from migrants boost the economy, the lack of local job creation limits sustainable internal economic growth.

  • Kerala Model of Development and Migration

  • The 'Kerala Model of Development' is renowned for its achievements in social indicators like literacy, healthcare, and life expectancy, often without high levels of economic growth.

  • This success in human resource development, ironically, contributes to brain drain, as the highly educated population seeks better economic prospects outside the state due to internal job scarcity.

  • Remittances from Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) form a significant portion of Kerala's Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), compensating for the lack of internal economic activity but also highlighting the reliance on external income.

Other Contributing Factors (related to employment opportunities)

  • Higher Wages and Better Prospects: Educated youth are often lured by significantly higher salaries, better career progression, and a superior quality of life in other Indian cities (e.g., Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai) or abroad (e.g., Gulf countries, Western nations).

  • Lack of Research & Development Opportunities: Limited scope for advanced research and development in many fields pushes professionals towards regions with established innovation ecosystems.


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