Seminar, health check-up, rate cuts mark W-day

Seminars, free health checkups and even a cut on interest rate for entrepreneurs marked the International Women’s Day in India’s technology hub.

A seminar was held today, where Dr R Indira, director, International Centre, Mysore University, traced the history of the women’s movement while Dr M Ashadevi, lecturer and feminist thinker, spoke on “challenges faced by women’s organisations and the way forward”.

At a separate function, Canara Bank chairman A C Mahajan announced an interest concession of 0.50 per cent till June 30 to individuals, proprietorship and partnership firms where the women’s share is 51 per cent or more. “The bank has also extended one per cent concession to girl students availing educational loans till June 30, 2010”, he said.

The Bangalore-headquartered bank provided around 20 stalls in its auditorium for display and sale of various products manufactured by women entrepreneurs.

A workshop on apparel and designing, jewellery designing, montessori and teaching aids, web designing and flower arrangement was also held at the auditorium thereafter. Manipal Speciality Hospital, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, organised a free health checkup for women.

The women’s wing of the Congress party’s city unit organised women’s day celebrations at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office here.