Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

It is fete time for Mitraniketan

Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When K. Viswanathan started Mitraniketan at Vellanad, a village situated nearly 25 km northeast of the capital city, in 1956, he was scripting a new chapter in rural development.

Today, the `Abode of Friends,' as the title means, celebrates its golden jubilee year, the centre stands as a testimony to the founder's vision of an alternative development model.

The centre, located in a sprawling campus of 60 acres, has contributed its mite in improving the quality of life and living of village communities by focussing on areas such as agriculture, education, women's development and vocational training.

The year-long golden jubilee celebrations would be formally inaugurated on September 15, Thiruvonam day, by the Union Minister of State for Planning M.V. Rajasekharan. Teachers from Mitraniketan who won national awards will be honoured on the occasion.

The programmes include seminars, workshops and international conventions on themes relating to environment, education and women's empowerment.

Mr. Viswanathan said Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and the agriculture scientist, M.S. Swaminathan were among those expected to participate.

Mitraniketan has evolved over the years with rural development at its core. The latest among the centre's foray into the field of education is the establishment of `People's College,' an institution inspired by the ideals of the Indian Gurukula system of education and the Danish Folk High Schools.

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