THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sunday was a memorable day for the special-needs students of the Central Institute of Mental Retardation (CIMR) at Murinjapalam in Thiruvananthapuram, thanks to West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose’s generous gesture.
On his visit to the institute, Bose announced that he would open Jan Dhan accounts for all the 125 children here with an initial deposit of Rs 2,000 each. The centre is founded by Fr Thomas Felix CMI, who passed away earlier this year. When the CIMR head, Sister Elise Mary, highlighted the need for furniture and allied equipment for the institute, he immediately urged his staffers to ensure that it is implemented without further delay.
The West Bengal governor also announced an award carrying a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh in memory of Fr Felix to NGOs working for the upliftment of special-needs children. It was Ananda Bose’s first visit to the capital city after taking over as the governor of West Bengal last November. He had avoided public welcome at the airport making his visit a low-key affair. Before visiting the CIMR, Bose called on noted scientist and his former teacher C G Ramachandran Nair, at his residence.
The governor presented Nair with a scroll of honour for his valuable contributions to the field of science and technology. Ananda Bose also visited spiritual leader Swami Isa and interacted with him at Isalayam Ashram at Anayara. He said swami’s vision of education that blends spirituality with science will guide India’s future.