They have all seen them on television and in newspapers. Some of them have seen them in person on various occasions. But to see them speaking from ‘a wall’ of their classroom, used as a makeshift screen to project images streamed live from a far away place, was an entirely novel experience for these schoolchildren. They listened attentively to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty as they addressed them through Google Hangout online, marking the inaugural Entrepreneurship Day observance of the State on Thursday.
The session, one of the biggest online connects the State has witnessed, was streamed live on YouTube (youtube.com/oommenchandykerala) and via ‘Hangouts on Air’ and was screened in almost all high schools, higher secondary schools, and vocational higher secondary schools in all district of the State. Mediapersons in the district witnessed the event at BEM Girls Higher Secondary School.
Encouraging the students to become job-creators instead of job-seekers as they prepare to enter the workforce of the future, the Chief Minister said one per cent of the State’s Budget would be earmarked for projects supporting young entrepreneurs. “The government will chalk out a clear draft policy on how to go about it without delay,” Mr. Chandy said.
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During his brief speech, the live streaming of which was partially disrupted by a technical glitch, the Chief Minister said the government’s focus would not be confined to the IT sector when it came to encouraging new and young entrepreneurs.
“We are going to open up our horizon to all sectors including agriculture, tourism, culture, and industry,” he said. Mr. Kunhalikutty, who also addressed students, urged the younger generation to come forward with new and revolutionary ideas that could change the future of the country in positive ways. As the speeches progressed, instant comments started appearing on the comment box on the right side of the interface on Google Hangout.
While some showered praises on the new experiment of the government, some preferred to be cynical about the whole deal.
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