Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said that Kerala is at the forefront of the initiatives to promote the knowledge sector which, he said, is one of the fundamental things that is necessary for the development of a nation. 

The Chief Minister was addressing a gathering after distributing the second Nava Kerala Post-Doctoral Fellowship of the Kerala State Higher Education Council. 

"Nava Kerala Post-Doctoral Fellowship is a testament to the state government's commitment to the development of the knowledge sector in the state. When public funding for research activities is diminishing, Kerala stands apart with increased funding," CM Vijayan said. 

The Chief Minister said that Rs 3,500 crore has been allotted in the latest state budget for research and development. 

Sixty-eight researchers representing 10 domains have been chosen for the second batch of Nava Kerala fellowships. They will receive 50,000 per month in the first year and 1 lakh per month in the second year. They will also receive extra monetary aid which is up to 2 lakh per year, said officials.