CM releases anthology of essays by former civil servants

The need for fresh thinking on Kerala’s demographic, economic and developmental challenges came into focus at the release of The Kerala Club: Keepers of the Flame , a collection of essays by 29 retired civil servants, in the city on Wednesday. The book, published by Bloomsbury India and edited by former Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar and former diplomat T.P. Sreenivasan, was released by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan. The first copy was received by Ashok Lahiri, Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog. Mr. Chandrasekhar said the volume was conceived to preserve the wealth of knowledge and experience accumulated by senior civil servants over decades of public service. Bringing together officers who served in different parts of India and abroad, the book offers perspectives on governance, administration and public policy, he said. Mr. Satheesan said Kerala was undergoing significant demographic changes, including a shrinking youth population, increasing life expectancy and migration trends, which demanded serious policy attention. Stressing the importance of updating knowledge systems, he said education and skill development should be aligned with changing global employment patterns. Initiatives such as the proposed Global Job Watch Tower and Kerala Knowledge Valley were aimed at positioning the State as a hub of higher education and knowledge-based industries, he added.