President, PM greet Mata Amritanandamayi on 60th birthday

The President and Prime Minister wished Mata Amritanandamayi Devi on her 60th birthday today and hailed the spiritual leader's charity work and efforts by her to spread the message of love the world over.
President Pranab Mukherjee, in his message from Delhi, lauded her initiatives to serve humanity, in India and abroad.
"It is her for love and compassion for all human beings, irrespective of their caste, creed and religion, that she is popularly known as Amma," he noted.
"On this happy occasion, I wish Mata Amritanandamayi Devi all happiness and also many more years of fruitful service to mankind," he added.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Mata Amritanandamayi inspires millions of people with her message of altruism, selflessness, love and compassion.
"Hers is a life dedicated to the service of society and spiritual awakening of the people. I extend my greetings and good wishes to Mata Amritanandamayi for many more years of service to humanity," he said.

Singh is away in Washington for talks with President Barack Obama.
Meanwhile, Amrita University launched a pioneering experimental learning programme to encourage youth to live and experience the problems in the country's villages.
The Amrita Centre for International Programmes floated its new 'Amrita Live-in-Labs' here on the occasion.

The scheme entails students of Amrita University as well as those from some of the best varsities in the world living in Indian villages for six months to understand the rural population's problems in areas like health, hygiene, energy, water, waste and environment, a press release said.
The idea behind the scheme came early this year when Mata Amritanandamayi spoke in Delhi at the 150th birthday celebrations of Swami Vivekananda.
In her inaugural address there in January 2013, she had suggested a way to ensure that at least one child from every family served in rural areas for one year upon graduation.

She also recommended government funds for such a scheme, saying the initiative would help awaken compassion in youth besides uplift the poor and ensure holistic growth of the nation.
As part of the programme, Amrita University signed a MoU with University of California, San Diego, to enhance research and studies.