First Pinarayi Vijayan ministry is the Council of Ministers headed by Pinarayi Vijayan that was formed after the Left Democratic Front (LDF) won the 2016 Kerala Legislative Assembly elections. The Council assumed office on 25 May 2016. The ministry had a total of 19 ministers in the Cabinet at the time of swearing-in compared to 21 ministers in the previous government. Pinarayi Vijayan sworn in as 22nd Chief Minister of Kerala, 12th person to hold this position. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on 3 May 2021 submitted the resignation of the Council of Ministers headed by him to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan after winning a historic victory in the 15th legislative assembly elections by winning 99 of the 140 seats in the Assembly.[1]
E. P. Jayarajan (CPI(M)) – Minister for Industries and Sports until his resignation on 14 October 2016 because of charges of nepotism.[2] In September 2017, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) acquitted Jayarajan in the nepotism case and sought to close the case.[3] Jayarajan was re-inducted into the cabinet on 14 August 2018.[4]
A. K. Saseendran (NCP) – Minister for Transport from 25 May 2016 until his resignation on 26 March 2017 after a sting operation revealed him seeking sexual favours from a woman.[5] In November 2017, Saseendran received a clean chit from the inquiry commission which said that it had no conclusive evidence before it to prove the charge.[6]
Thomas Chandy (NCP) – Minister for Transport (from 1 April 2017 to 15 November 2017). The businessman-turned-politician resigned over allegations that he had encroached on water bodies and public land and converted paddy fields for a private hotel project.[7] He died on 20 December 2019.
K. T. Jaleel - Minister for Higher Education and Minority Welfare - resigned in April 2021 following Lokayukta finding him guilty on nepotism charges.[9] Earlier Jaleel was quizzed multiple times by Enforcement Directorate in connection with dollar and gold smuggling through United Arab Emirates consulate.[10]
Awards and appreciation
The Kerala government under the leadership of Pinarayi Vijayan won the following awards:
Recognised as the best governed state in India by Public Affairs Centre for three consecutive years (2016, 2017, 2018)[11]
Ranked first in United Nations Sustainable Development Index (2018, 2019) released by NITI Ayog and UN[12][13]
Ranked first in NITI Aayog Sustainable Development Index[14]
Second least corrupt state as per the Centre for Media Studies (2018)
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan Award for the state with lowest maternal mortality
Kerala tops NITIAayog's School Education Quality Index[20]
Kerala was ranked 1 in overall performance of state in health outcomes index[21]
Kerala feature in the top ten rankings in NITI Aayog releases report on Export Preparedness Index 2020[22]
Kerala was adjudged the best-governed state in the country, according to the Public Affairs Index-2020 released by the Public Affairs Centre[23]
Notable work
Built over 2,00,000 houses for the homeless and landless under Life mission (launched in 2017).[24]
28,000 houses were completed as part of Livelihood Inclusion and Financial Empowerment, a comprehensive housing scheme for all the landless and homeless in the state.
Implemented a comprehensive development scheme and was therefore ranked first in United Nations Sustainable Development Index (2018) and NITI Aayog Sustainable Development Index.
Took over and completed the previously deserted Edamon- Kochi 400 KV transmission line.[25]
Re-hauling the Public sector enterprise, Kerala Automobiles Limited and successfully spearheaded the effort to start commercial-scale production of Kerala's own e-auto Neem-G, marking the first time a public sector venture entering the Electric Vehicle market.[26]
Successfully planned and implemented the "apna Ghar" scheme that provides state of the art housing facilities for migrant workers .[27]
Successfully brought in 165 companies to IT park creating 50,000 jobs within 1000 days.
Reduced overall loss of Public Sector companies which stood at Rs. 131.0 crores in 2015–16 to Rs. 71.34 crores in 2016–17 with making thirteen of them operating at a marginal profit in 2016–17. Within 1000 days of office, PSUs went from netting Rs. 131.0 crores in losses to over Rs. 160 Crore in profits .[28]
Established Institute of Advanced Virology (IAV) in the state and became the first in the country to be linked with the Global Virus Network.[29]
Doubled the social security pensions for the marginalised and elderly compared to the previous UDF government.[30]
Established minimum wage scheme in 26 sectors to prevent exploitation of employees.[31]
Successfully ensured minimum wages and social security measures for the migrant workers.[32]
17182 km of rivers and streams that were stalled or contaminated were rejuvenated, 48936 wells were recharged and 9889 ponds reformed in the first 1000 days in office.[33]
1,03,361 title deeds were distributed among various communities.[34]
Record growth of milk production increasing daily production by over 2,60,000 litres per day within 1000 days in power
Education Department set up 45,000 hi-tech classrooms in public schools.[35]
Over 2000 Crore Indian rupees infused to rejuvenate the public school system.[36]
Witnessed exponential increase in number of students enrolled in public schools for all three years, the highest growth in past 25 years.[37]
Education Department has also ensured free textbooks and uniforms for all the students.[38]
Jana Maithri project implementation at all police stations.[39]
Haritha Kerala Mission projects implemented for waste management, organic farming and water resources management.
Revived agrarian practice of the state through Agriculture Department by cultivating paddy cultivation in 34,000 acres of land, and building new traditions like "Year of Paddy."
Created innovative and accessible educational programs that gives youth employment ready skills and competence through Kerala Academy for Skill Excellence (KASE).
Reduced class division especially by appointing non-Brahmins and Dalits as priests in temples under the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).
Committed to increasing state's power sources and consumption, in the meantime by stopping power cuts and load shedding and by initiating hydro-electric power projects in Vellathooval, Pathankayam, Perunthenaruvi, Pallivasal, Thottiyar and Chathankottunada.[40]
Conducting studies to develop new tourism spots and renovating existing ones to create employment and taxation opportunities.
Abolishing an illegal practice among worker class known as "nokkukooli" — a money extortion formality that were held by certain labour unions without doing any work.
Acquired land for Amballur Electronic Hardware Park for developing a new source for economic growth and creating job opportunities/increasing purchasing power of citizens.
Implementing GAIL pipeline between Mangalore and Kochi, a national project.[44]
In first of its kind in Kerala, his ministry introduced a yearly progress report to mark accountability and transparency of the ruling front.[51] The report contained the evaluation and performance of the ministry with respect to the promises in the election manifesto released by Left Democratic Front.[52] His ministry made history by keeping 570 of 600 poll promises mentioned in the election manifesto by December 2020.[53][54]
His ministry introduced four missions for building Nava Keralam, a project expected to have a transformational effect on Kerala in the long run. The missions include LIFE Mission, a project to solve the problems of all categories of people including the homeless and landless and those who could not complete their house construction after starting it. It completed more than 2 lakh homes for the homeless.[55] The Ardram Mission aimed at a total overhaul of the public health sector making it people friendly, affordable for the poorest, and a means to provide substantial state of the art infrastructure facilities. It extended super specialty facilities that was earlier limited to medical colleges, to district and taluk hospitals as well.[56][57] The Haritha Keralam Mission was a comprehensive project implemented to clear and remove waste from all the water bodies in Kerala; ponds, rivers, lakes and streams.[58] The mission was a participatory program on the lines of literacy mission, democratic decentralization and people's planning and it involved the removal of solid waste, removal of waste water and measures to increase the area of land under cultivation are being undertaken under this project.[58] The Education Mission, proposed comprehensive educational reforms including upgrading one thousand government schools into international standards during the first phase and steadily improved the infrastructure for the education in Kerala.[59] Kerala thereafter became the first fully digital state in the country in the field of public education, with the completion of the ‘hi-tech classroom and hi-tech lab’ projects in government-owned schools.[60]
His ministry offered 1,03,361 title deeds for landless people, found 22,000 hectares for additional paddy cultivation, restored 17182 square kilometers of water bodies, distributed 8,500,000 free Handloom School Uniforms, built 45,000 high tech classrooms, ensured 341,293 new student enrollment in public schools and enlarged 5,000,000 sq.ft. as a newly built-up area for Information Technology.[61][62]
Kerala became the first state in India to provide employment reservation in rail network (Kochi Metro) for transgender people.[63] His ministry also provided reservation for transgender students pursuing degrees in the Arts and Sciences in graduation and post graduation.[64]
For the first time in India, an all-woman police squad called 'Pink Patrol' was introduced in Kerala to ascertain the security of women and children in public places.[65][66]
His tenure saw Kerala becoming first fully electrified State and fully open-defecation-free State in India.[citation needed] The 'filament free state', a project to bring in affordable LED bulbs in all households in Kerala also received good public attention.[69]
Kerala was ranked as the best governed state by Public Affairs Index,[74] Excellence Award 2017 of Cops Today International.[75]
Political changes
The ruling left democratic front (LDF) in the state has added four new political parties under its fold, becoming a 10-member strong front. The new entrants are Indian National League (INL), Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD), Democratic Kerala Congress (DKC) and Kerala Congress (B).[76]
