ABSTRACT
The state of Kerala came into existence on 1 November 1956, as a result of the State Re-organization Act 1956. During 19th century and to a great extent, the first two decades of the 20th century, Kerala was an extremely caste-ridden society. The socio-religious movements since the dawn of the 20th century have transformed the socio-cultural landscape of Kerala. The overall objective of the study is to find out whether the ‘Kerala model’ of development is as good as that is claimed to be. In other words, to find out whether social development in Kerala is a reality or an illusion. The theoretical framework of development could be classified into social development as a product of economic growth and economic growth as a result of social development. In Arabian countries, the disparity between economic development and social development is very high. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
