T’puram: The three-day Monsoon School on Inequality 2026, jointly organized by the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET), Economiga and Centre for Development Studies (CDS), concluded at CDS here on Tuesday.Higher education minister Roji M John, who delivered the valedictory address, said research on inequality should engage with contemporary policy challenges and help shape practical interventions. Addressing students, research scholars, faculty members and young professionals from across the country, he referred to the increasing migration of students from Kerala to other states and abroad for higher education and the structural changes taking place across sectors.The minister said such developments needed to be studied through evidence-based and interdisciplinary research. He stressed the need for closer engagement between academic institutions and govts so that research findings could contribute to inclusive public policy.An interactive session followed, with participants raising questions on education, employment, inequality, migration and Kerala’s development trajectory. The organizers said the three-day programme, which included lectures, panel discussions, research presentations and mentoring sessions, aimed to strengthen critical engagement with contemporary debates on inequality and build a network of young researchers committed to evidence-based scholarship and public policy.
