Vice-President Ansari to arrive in Kerala on 3-day visit

Vice-President Hamid Ansari will arrive in Kerala tomorrow on a three-day visit to attend a series of functions.
Ansari, who will arrive in Kochi in the afternoon, would proceed to Kottayam to attend a function at the K R Narayanan Instituteof Visual Science and Arts.
He would then attend a function organised in connection with Toc H International Centenary celebrations at Kochi in the evening and later proceed to Kozhikode, an official release said.
On January 12, the Vice President will inaugurate the Inter Health Annual Conference at Malappuram.
Later, he would proceed to the state capital where he would present the Sree Chitra Tirunal award to former diplomat T P Sreenivasan.

He would also release a book titled ' Jawaharlal Nehru and Indian politics in perspective'.

On January 13, the Vice-president would declare Kerala as the first state in the country to achieve 'total primary education' at a function at the senate hall here, the release said.
The declaration will mark the culmination of the second phase of the 'Athulyam' Class 4 equivalency programme - for persons aged between 15 and 50 - run by the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority.
It is a programme launched by the Literacy Mission after the success of the total literacy campaign in the state.

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The Vice President observed that the role of education plays a critical role in developing scientific temper, but over the years, the quantum of scientific information in the country has increased but has not brought about science- mindedness in sufficient measure.
He noted that the Constitution itself has stated that it is the duty of every individual to develop scientific temper.
"Public acceptance of scientific temper and development of a critical and inquisitive attitude is a pre-condition for fostering and sustaining the cultivation of innovations and scientific research.
"We need to create the right ambiance and structures to encourage science research and innovation. A pre-requisite is the need to develop an enquiring attitude and an analytical approach that leads to rational thinking and the pursuit of truth without prejudice," Ansari said.