INDIAN STATE : KERALA

Social Infrastructure

Education

The literacy rate of Kerala, which was 47.18% in 1951 almost, doubled in 2001 census. According to 2001 census, the literacy rate for Kerala is 90.92 percent as against the all India literacy rate of 65.38 percent. Kerala's male literacy rate at 94.20 percent and female literacy rate at 87.86 percent are unique compared to the corresponding national figures of 75.85 percent and 54.16 percent respectively. The highest literacy rate of 95.90 percent is in Kottayam district of Kerala. A taluk-wise analysis reveals that literacy rate is the highest in Mallappally taluk (97.03%) of Pathanamthitta district.

School education: In Kerala, there are 12650 schools in 2005 comprising 6827 Lower Primary Schools, 3042 Upper Primary Schools and 2781 High Schools. Moreover there are 483 CBSE schools, 78 ICSE schools, 26 Kendriya Vidyalaya and 13 Jawahar Navodaya Vidhyala.

Higher secondary education: Kerala government has introduced higher Secondary Course in the state with the aim of re-organise secondary level of education in accordance with the National Education Policy, As a first step, during 1990-91, 31 government schools were upgraded to the status of higher secondary schools. At present, higher secondary course has been conducted in 1656 schools; 702 in government sector, 523 in aided and 431 in unaided sector.

Also, grading system of evaluation has been introduced in the higher secondary level from 2005-06 academic year onwards.

University and Higher education: Kerala's higher education system has grown in many folds both in terms of the number of universities and in terms of the number of colleges in comparison to their number at the time of the formation of the state. The state's higher education system comprises of 7 universities and 2 deemed universities.

Technical education: In terms of Technical education system the state covers courses in engineering, technology, management, architecture etc. at diploma, degree, post graduate and research levels. Further, Industrial Training Institutes, technical high schools, fine arts colleges etc. also come under the technical education system.

Engineering colleges: There has been a remarkable increase in the number of engineering colleges in Kerala in the recent years, especially in the number of private self-financing colleges. By the end of the Ninth Plan, the number of engineering colleges was 44. At present there are 84 engineering colleges with a sanctioned intake of 23196 seats. Out of 84 engineering colleges, 9 are government colleges, 3 are private aided and 72 are self-financing engineering colleges.

Expenditure on education: During 2004-05 it is estimated that Kerala has expended Rs. 3569.19 crore (excluding Art & Culture and Sports & Youth services). This shows that, state's expenditure on education increased by 17.62 % in the year 2004-05 as compared to Rs. 3034.39 crores in the year 2003-04.

Health

Generally mortality indicators like death rate, infant mortality rate and expectation of life at birth measures the health status of a state. In Kerala Mortality indicators shows that health status is far advanced and higher than the all India average and is even comparable with developed countries. The state of Kerala has achieved this excellent progress of health status through widespread growth of medicine in public, private, co-operative sectors combined with People's health awareness. Health care system in Kerala's constitutes allopathy, ayurveda and homoeopathy.

The basic health indicators of Kerala and India in2004 are

Source: Directorate of Health Services