‘Kalam Room’ to be set up in govt. hostels

Audio-visual content, books to be made available

Hephsiba Rani Korlapati has said that work on the libraries would begin in a fortnight.— Photo: Rajendra Singh Hajeri

The Vijayapura Zilla Panchayat is set to pay its tributes to former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam by setting up a ‘Kalam Kotadi’ (Kalam Rooms) in every government students’ hostel in the district. Books on the life and works of Dr. Kalam and audio-visual content of his speeches will be available in these rooms for students to read.

Admirer

Chief Executive Officer Hephsiba Rani Korlapati, an admirer of the ‘missile man’, has taken up the initiative of setting up libraries to pay her tributes. Work on the libraries would begin in a fortnight, she said.

“Dr. Kalam has been a guiding force for innumerable people. Being one among them, I wish the students fraternity of the district will understand and follow his principled life,” she said.

Books displayed

Ms. Korlapati told

The Hindu that students would be encouraged to listen to Dr. Kalam’s speeches so that they would try and emulate his thoughts to become better citizens.

Having been inspired by Dr. Kalam’s book Ignited Minds, the official said some of his best quotes would be displayed in the libraries. “Though the zilla panchayat will offer some financial aid, we want the community to participate in this noble cause. We will request banks, educational institutions and major enterprises such as the NTPC to contribute,” she said.

Booksellers

Ms. Korlapati said major bookseller would be requested to provide books at subsidised rates for the proposed libraries.

She said that in the beginning, some select hostels would be identified where about ten Kannada translated books of Dr. Kalam including Wings of Fire and Ignited Minds would be kept in the library.