Kerala, the most educated state, tops jobless charts as expats head home

A combination of factors sent the West Asian economies into a tailspin, and by extension Kerala's. Nikita Puri assesses the change afoot in the state

The heat before the monsoon arrives in Kerala is particularly cruel, capable of drying up six-foot deep canals. So when Bincy Johny hands out a glass of fresh guava juice at her home in Kothamangalam, Ernakulam, it is accepted gratefully. The heat doesn’t keep anyone from doing what they must, though. A post-lunch routine followed across the state, Bincy’s husband is out gathering bales of grass for their cattle.

The Johny family home could pass for a fruit orchard, with the rows of mangosteen, mango, gooseberry and guava trees that the family planted during annual vacations. The Johnys, along with their