Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Study materials, uniforms distributed

HELPING THE NEEDY: Transport Minister Mathew T. Thomas distributing uniform and study materials to a student at a function organised in connection with the Nava Oli Jyotirdinam celebrations at the Santhigiri Ashram in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.

Thiruvananthapuram: Educational assistance programmes should address social inequality and remove economic barriers, Minister for Transport Mathew T. Thomas has said here.

He was speaking after inaugurating the Uttara Sree educational aid programme of Guru Mahima, the young women’s organisation of Santhigiri Ashram, on Tuesday. The programme was launched to mark the Nava Oli Jyotirdinam celebrations at the Ashram.

Mr. Thomas said the Uttara Sree scheme would trigger a social change by providing educational security to children from the economically backward families.

School uniforms and study materials were distributed free-of-cost, to children from the Government UP School, Pothencode and Koliacode in Thiruvananthapuram. The scheme would benefit 1,500 children. The ashram has plans to continue the service in the coming years.

Under the Uttara Sree programme, 10 meritorious students from the high school and college levels would be provided assistance to meet living expenses for continuing education.

Inaugurating a public meeting organised in connection with the Nava Oli Jyotirdinam, Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran said spirituality had to be seen as service of humanity without the bindings of tradition and rituals.

He said Karunakara Guru, founder of the ashram, had succeeded in blending the mundane with the spiritual. The Minister called for empowerment of the youth by rebuilding degenerated spiritual values and practices.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) State president K. Muraleedharan, who presided over the function, lauded the educational and health care schemes launched by the Ashram.

M.A.Vahid, MLA, released a special issue of Nava Oli Jyotirdinam souvenir.

General secretary of the Sivagiri Math Swami Ritambarananda, the former MLAs Pirappancode Murali and Sobhana George and Vamanapuram block panchayat member K. Soman were among those who addressed the gathering.

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