Latest news with #KeralaDevelopmentandInnovationStrategicCouncil
New Indian Express
21-07-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
K-DISC peer mentors to guide 50k students for getting jobs
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Remember that friend who taught you everything at the last minute before the exam? Now think of having the same friend guiding you to get a job, by mentoring you through job-oriented online courses. That is what K-DISC (Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council) is planning through its new venture, 'Learners' Fest', which aims to aid close to 50,000 students by September. Under the Vijnana Keralam initiative, K-DISC, the advisory body of the state government, will be providing nearly 250 online courses in 40 developing and highly employable domains from platforms like Coursera and LinkedIn, free of cost. The domains span from finance and marketing to artificial intelligence and machine learning. The courses have been designed into job-specific learning paths for willing students, who will be helped by selected student ambassadors who will work as mentors. These mentors, selected from colleges of different streams, including engineering, polytechnic, arts and science institutes, will be given training to help other students of their college. Peer-to-peer learning is a student-driven approach which will be more effective for skill-based activities,' said P M Riyas, K-DISC executive director for skills, employment and entrepreneurship, adding that the practice may cater to the aptitudes of more students. 'Over 2,000 campus ambassadors have already been trained as part of the project. Selected students who are willing to mentor their peer groups will be undergoing an induction programme,' he said. Other students from the colleges can register themselves in the 'Digital Workforce Management System' portal on the K-DISC's official website. Participants will have to go through these courses, which will be backed by weekly peer learning sessions led by these mentors. Multiple courses will be integrated into each learning path, which have been designed to support students to fare well in the selection procedure for over 270 jobs. The induction programme for student ambassadors in 10 districts of the state has been completed, with only Wayanad, Idukki, Kannur and Kasaragod remaining. FOR A BRIGHT FUTURE
New Indian Express
09-07-2025
- Science
- New Indian Express
K-DISC pitches tech and innovation to help neurodivergent people
KOCHI: As a state with more than seven lakh differently abled people, it is high time Kerala leveraged technology and community participation to create an ecosystem catering to their needs. And that is precisely what the STRIDE (Social Technology and Research for Inclusive Design Excellence) project aims to do. As part of the programme designed by the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC), STRIDE Innovation Centres will be set up at engineering colleges under APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) and other universities. Another feature will be the setting up of a first-of-its-kind Makerspaces at select BUDS schools operated by Kudumbashree and the local self-government department (LSGD). 'The plan is to create India's first inclusive innovation ecosystem, and specifically, assistive/adaptive technology in 2026,' Robin Tommy, executive director of K-DISC's Social Enterprises and Inclusion (SEI), tells TNIE. 'The project aims to make Kerala a hub for social innovation, with a strong emphasis on community-driven solutions.' Launched in November 2024 on an experimental basis, the project will have four arms -- STRIDE Innovation Centres, STRIDE Makerspaces, STRIDE Hub, and STRIDE Network. 'The initiative envisions to make these neurodivergent individuals self-sufficient. They don't need our empathy or sympathy. What they need is a way to earn a livelihood once they turn 18. They need hand-holding,' he says. Explaining more about STRIDE, Robin says, 'At the innovation centres, the students will be encouraged to come up with designs that help improve the lives of their special needs brethren.' He stresses the innovation happening at these centres will be human-centric. K-DISC had conducted a Designathon, where more than 300 teams from colleges across the country presented their ideas. These ideas were arrived at through interactions with the differently abled persons, he says.
The Hindu
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Knowledge Kerala project: facilitation centres to be set up in Ernakulam
Facilitation centres and job stations aimed at offering job opportunities and skilling programmes for youth will be set up at the panchayat and municipal levels in Ernakulam soon as part of the 'Knowledge Kerala' project. These facilities will act as a support system to help job seekers and provide them with adequate training. The Knowledge Kerala project intends to create more opportunities for job aspirants. There are plans to organise skill development and job placement programmes. The project is being implemented through the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council. A district-level council has been formed as part of initiating the programmes in Ernakulam. The authorities are hopeful that the project will have good possibilities in the district, in view of the presence of industries and commercial units, according to a communication. The district council will take steps to form a three-tier system of resource persons associated with the implementation of the project. It will include key resource persons, district resource persons, and local resource persons. As part of the project, final year students in higher educational institutions will be offered skill enhancement programmes that will help them secure campus placements. Job seekers will be encouraged to register on the digital workforce management platform developed as part of the initiative. The government hopes to help around one lakh aspirants gain jobs through the project.
The Hindu
25-04-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
No scope for controversy over Vijnana Keralam post, says Isaac
Former Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac on Friday ruled out any scope for a controversy over his appointment as advisor to the Vijnana Keralam initiative of the State government. Dr. Isaac was reacting to a public interest litigation questioning his appointment and an amicus curiae report to the High Court based on it. Dr. Isaac said he was happy to have received an opportunity to explain matters before the court. Only travel expenses On the question of the remuneration for his post, he said he was eligible only for travel expenses. Vijnana Keralam is aimed at aligning skilling with job creation, according to Dr. Isaac. Skilling programmes for the student community under the Vijnana Keralam campaign is to be rolled out from August, he said. He went on to add that the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) assumed its present structure during the previous LDF government's term. K-DISC was shaped with the approval of the Finance department, he said.
New Indian Express
25-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Kerala HC amicus flags T M Thomas Isaac's appointment to non-existent department
KOCHI: The amicus curiae appointed by the Kerala High Court to assist the court in a public interest litigation challenging the appointment of former finance minister T M Thomas Isaac as an advisor to the Vijnana Keralam (Knowledge Kerala) project has informed that the appointment made is to a department that does not exist. Considering the submission, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice S Manu impleaded Isaac as an additional respondent. It also directed the Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) and Isaac to file a reply to the report of the amicus curiae. The petitioner, who claimed to be a public activist, had submitted that the government order stated that, 'For the coordination of activities of 'Vijnana Keralam', it was decided to appoint Isaac as the advisor of the project till the end of the tenure of the present government. This was a clear example of nepotism and favouritism,' the petitioner alleged. Isaac was appointed the advisor for Knowledge Kerala Project by the government in December 2024.
