The situation of students getting recruited to poor quality universities abroad is a matter of concern and the state government would take steps to end this exploitation, Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu said on Friday.

The minister claimed that the quality of higher education institutions in the state has improved in a big way in the recent past and universities and colleges have secured higher grades from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

"The primary consideration of the government is to create conditions favourable for our students to stay here. The situation of students getting recruited to poor quality universities abroad is a matter of concern and this goes largely unnoticed. The government would prevent this kind of exploitation," Bindu said.

She said the LDF government is focused on providing the right platform for students to share their innovative ideas and creating new entrepreneurial opportunities for them.

Bindu was speaking at a press conference held here in connection with the third edition of Kerala's largest congregation of professional students, the Professional Students' Summit-2023, organised by the state government. It will be held on February 11 at nearby Angamaly.

"The state government is making efforts to transform students from being an employee to employers and creating new entrepreneurial opportunities. We are focused on providing the right platform for professional students to share their innovative ideas and connecting them with industry experts. The Professional Students' Summit is a part of this," she said.

As part of the government initiative to turn Kerala into a knowledge society, the universities and other agencies are providing significant support for research and skill development, Bindu added.

"An IIT-level research centre will be set up adjacent to the Kerala Technical University. Mahatma Gandhi University has formed a company and started an innovation and incubation centre at the cost of Rs 35 crore," she said.

About 2,000 students and 500 teachers from more than 400 professional educational institutions will participate in the summit.

Dr Krishna Ella, executive chairman of Bharat Biotech that developed India's first indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, will be the chief guest and plenary speaker at the congregation.

NAAC Chairman Dr Bhushan Patwardhan, Amazon Web Services Head of Business Development Amit Mehta, and other experts will hold various sessions and discussions with the students.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will interact with the students at 4 pm.

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