The Hindu : Rs. 2,500 cr. education projects for GIM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jan 17, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Rs. 2,500 cr. education projects for GIM

By Our Staff Reporter

ALAPPUZHA JAN. 16. The State Government plans to place projects totalling Rs. 2,500 crores in the higher education sector at the Global Investors Meet (GIM) in Kochi on January 18.

Announcing this at a press conference at the venue of the State Schools Youth Festival here, the Education Minister, Nalakath Soopy, said the aim of the Government was to make the State a hot destination of students from all over the world.

The projects included a Rs. 500-crore plan for starting a virtual university, expanding the scope of the IT @ Schools programme at a cost of Rs. 500 crores with private participation, and an education park at Kanjikkode near Palakkad at a cost of Rs. 100 crores.

#The Minister said the IT major, Nest, had evinced interest in the virtual university project. The university would play a key-role in preparing the curriculum for higher studies in electronics and IT sectors. The Asianet Communications had expressed desire to associate with the IT @ Schools project. The Ratnavel Subrahmaniam Educational Trust, Coimbatore had indicated willingness to start the education park. The Microsoft Corporation was willing to invest in major projects in the higher education sector. The amount it was planning to invest would be conveyed to the Government later, the Minister said.

The other major projects to be placed at GIM included an International School at Munnar (Rs. 100 crores), a school of marketing development at Perinthalmanna, a project on smart school-management information system (Rs. 51 crores), international institute on fashion technology at the Kinfra Park at Thumba, a construction management institute and a project to manufacture education aids to students. The Dehradun-based Ramchandany Education Consultants had conveyed its willingness to start the international school, while the ICICI Bank was ready to cooperate with the marketing development school, he said.

The Minister said the Government would give emphasis on agriculture, biotechnology, hospitality management, health care, visual media, construction and fashion technology sectors while starting new education institutions.

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