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It is reported that around 100 palatial and abandoned NRI homes are up for sale in Kerala’s Kottayam District alone indicating the growing unwillingness among the latest generation of Indians to return to their roots in future.
The sprawling homes, tastefully constructed by the first generation NRIs to spend their retirement years now lay abandoned and desolate crying for inmates. In other cases, the NRI children sent money to their parents to construct spacious homes for their living and also as a status symbol. After the parents passed away or shifted to senior citizen homes due to old-age related issues the houses were left abandoned.
A World Migration report published in the year 2022 by the United Nations estimates that approximately 1.79 crore Indians have migrated from India and settled abroad. Further, the number of Indians who surrendered their citizenship during the last 11 years is 16.64 lac as follows:
| Year | In Lacs |
| 2011 | 1.23 |
| 2012 | 1.21 |
| 2013 | 1.31 |
| 2014 | 1.29 |
| 2015 | 1.31 |
| 2016 | 1.42 |
| 2017 | 1.33 |
| 2018 | 1.35 |
| 2019 | 1.44 |
| 2020 | 0.85* |
| 2021 | 1.64 |
| 2022 | 2.26 |
| Total | 16.64 |
* Dip due to COVID
It is anticipated that this migrated population is not expected to return home and have no interest in their properties in India.
According to the 2011 (latest) Census It is reported that approximately 12 lac houses were vacant representing around 10.6% of the total houses in Kerala. This figure is estimated to spike sharply in the next census due anytime now.
In a glaring contrast to this massive number of sprawling but abandoned houses, the majority of the Government Schools are old, dilapidated and dangerously unsafe to house children.
As per a recent survey, the total number of Government Schools for the year ended 2022 is 1022386 and the Government aided schools are 82480. Kerala state has 5010 Government schools. A study by NCPCR an Apex child rights body reveals that 22% of the schools across the country are operated from old and dilapidated buildings exposing the children to the risk of fatal incidents. Many schools lack proper shelter, roof, classrooms, playgrounds and even toilets.
Recently, a 50 year-old school building at Shivajinagar Bangalore,housing 75 children came crashing down just before the commencement of the classes. All the children had a providential escape since the school was yet to start for the day.
A recent video from a school in Bihar where 5 teachers were teaching children of 5 different classes in a single classroom using a common black board highlights the plight of the students and the teachers. It also shows the shameful state of education infrastructure in our country. These are only minimal samples of the deteriorating infrastructure of schools in our country.
Rural Development Ministry data reveals that 75613 villages in India don’t have schools. This works out to over 14% of the villages in India.. Further, 10 states in the country have over 15% of “No-School” villages. This should be an eye-opener to all the law makers.
The Government acquired lands from private parties for development of infrastructure projects like Highways, Roads, Bridges, Ports, Airports etc. by paying the market value to the owners. Similarly, it should also treat investment in the schools as an Infrastructure project, acquire abandoned homes across the country and shift students from the old and dilapidated buildings to these newly acquired buildings by conducting safety audit of these schools.
Investment in education infra needs to be prioritized and the government should initiate steps . to take over the abandoned homes as a first step in this direction. It should show its willingness to take decisions which may not be popular but good for the future of our country.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.