Ansari releases NCCI commemorative postage stamp

Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari has said that the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) is a truly representative organization of Protestant and Orthodox churches in the country.

Speaking after releasing a commemorative postage stamp on the Centenary of the National Council of Churches in India at a function here, Ansari said since its inception, the NCCI has made invaluable contributions towards the noble task of nation building.

"It has faithfully served our Christian compatriots and the society at large. It brings together the churches and other Christian organizations for mutual consultation, assistance and action in all matters related to life and witness," he said.

He said the NCCI has undertaken concrete programmes and projects in critical areas, such as education, healthcare, natural disaster relief and rehabilitation and ecological degradation.

"It has focussed on adult and vocational education; providing productive employment for the youth, through setting up industrial cooperatives and implementing cottage industry projects such as tanneries, poultry farming, mat-weaving, brush-making," Ansari said on Friday evening.

He opined that it would be appropriate to say that the NCCI has been an important vehicle for promoting the overall well-being of Indian society and the country.