Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Ensure equal opportunity: Collector

Photo: M. Periasamy

Sharing his views: Collector P. Umanath addressing the gathering at TEDx Coimbatore, an event organised in the city on Wednesday. -

COIMBATORE: Every member of society should get equal opportunity, P. Umanath, Collector, said here on Tuesday.

“That is the underlying philosophy of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (UNMDG) and also way to prosperity,” he said at TEDx Coimbatore, an event organised to exchange ideas.

Be it universal education, gender equality, ending of poverty or hunger or combating HIV/AIDS, they were all about creating a level playing field for all – for people from all sections of the society, he explained.

Equal opportunity was particularly important in the Indian context, which had an unequal, stratified society, he observed. And by equal opportunity he meant giving not just chance but equal chance.

“That was the only way to correct inequality,” he added.

Mr. Umanath also emphasised the need for promoting the culture of ‘giving back to society.'

“It is high time we, as a society, started thinking about giving back to society. For, we have grown and succeeded in our own way at society's cost.”

Anusha R. Mahesh, Curator, TEDx Coimbatore, said the programme was aimed at making the UNMDG a reality.

“Ten years down the line, a look at what had happened to the goals will reveal that nothing much has changed.”

TEDx was part of the efforts to create a change across the planet and the Coimbatore programme was one of those.

She said 13 students, chosen after scrutiny, would present their ideas on the six topics.

The eight goals are: Global partnership, Environmental sustainability, Combat HIV/AIDS, Gender Equality, End Poverty Hunger and Universal Education.

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