What is Cosmos Malabaricus project?

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Kerala and the Netherlands for the Cosmos Malabaricus project which will help further illustrate the history of the state using 18th Century Dutch documents. 

• The agreement was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Netherlands Ambassador to India, Marten van den Berg. 

• The Cosmos Malabaricus project is being implemented by the Kerala Council for Historical Research (KCHR) under the Department of Higher Education, the National Archives of the Netherlands and the University of Leiden.

• The project will be completed in six years. 

• The objective of the project is to make already digitised Dutch archival material accessible to the widest possible audience, including international and Indian scholars and the people of Kerala through translation and publication of summaries in English.

• These records contain a “treasure trove” of information regarding the political and military organisations, dynastic developments, economic matters, social and religious aspects of Kerala. 

• The material is written in classical Dutch language and is available in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Netherlands. 

• As part of the Cosmos Malabaricus project, students from Kerala will get an opportunity to do an MA at Leiden University and the students from the Netherlands will get prospects for doing an internship at KCHR. 

• An MoU for the establishment of the Paint Academy was signed by ASAP (Additional Skill Acquisition Programme), Indian Institute of Infrastructure & Construction, Kollam, CREDAI, Kerala and AkzoNobel India Limited, the Indian subsidiary of a leading paint and chemical company in the Netherlands. 

• The paint academy at the IIIC campus at Chavara, Kollam will impart training in painting buildings while the academy at ASAP Skill Sky Park in Thavanur, Malappuram will train in painting vehicles. The aim is to train 380 people in the first year.

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