This Week Kerala: VS wants CBI to probe murder

Loan default

Defaults on educational loans have send alarm bells ringing in the state’s banking sector. Till June 30 this year,36,616 students had defaulted on loans totalling Rs 638.35 crore. Till 2010,the defaulted amount had been Rs 67 crore. As per statistics from the state-level bankers’ committee,banks in Kerala have so far given Rs 7,268 crore as educational loan,including Rs 1,370 crore in the year that ended this June. The demand for educational loans has gone up since the previous UDF government allowed private players to invest in professional education. Hundreds of students have rushed to banks for loans. Banks have been under pressure to give such loans liberally after a student committed suicide for want of a loan a few years ago.

Softer on rebels

The CPM is known for treating its rebels with an iron hand,but not this time. It has taken a lesson from its citadel of Onchiyam,where a local communist party floated by rebels has won mass support. The CPM has adopted a more accommodating strategy in Palakkad,where district-level leader P A Gokuldas had formed a popular parallel movement in an area committee,and recently held a massive convention where he openly challenged the CPM in Malampuzha,the constituency of V S Achuthanandan. Demoted in the party,Gokuldas declared the formation of a new outfit in Mundoor. Instead of ousting the rebels,the CPM decided to bring them back into the party fold. The party has put a freeze on the earlier disciplinary action against Gokuldas.

Entrepreneurship

The state government will soon come out with a student entrepreneurship policy. As per the policy draft,any student who works to create knowledge,innovation,wealth or jobs through any government-recognised incubator will be given 20 per cent attendance and 4 per cent grace marks in his or her academic course. The objective is to to encourage students into entrepreneurship,which has so far had few takers,and innovation while they continue their studies. In Kerala,entrepreneurship is usually the last resort for educated youths,who take it up at the end of long searches for government jobs. Previous special schemes to promote entrepreneurship had failed to click except in the IT sector.