Kollam to be first totally Constitution literate district in State
The Hindu
Aim is to equip people to uphold constitutional values
Over seven lakh families in the district will be educated on the basic principles of the Constitution as part of The Citizen, a constitution literacy campaign jointly organised by the Kollam district panchayat, District Planning Committee, and the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA).
The first of its kind initiative in the State, the target is to declare Kollam a totally Constitution literate district on August 14 midnight. “Indian Constitution, the most-elaborate in the world, is the supreme law of the nation. Though the document clearly defines the rights and responsibilities of each citizen, very few are clearly aware of it even after 72 years. It is an attempt to ensure that we, as the citizens of India, are able to understand and uphold the integral values advocated by our constitution,” says V. Sudesan, Deputy Development Commissioner and faculty, KILA.
As part of the campaign, the entire population of Kollam above the age of 10 will be briefed on the preamble of the Constitution and the historical background of the document, its basic principles, fundamental rights of citizens, and legal remedies. Everyone, including government institutions, private establishments, socio-cultural organisations, and educational institutions, will be made participants while local bodies will spearhead the campaign.
In 2021, five women from Mayithara, four of them MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) workers, found a common ground in their desire to create a sustainable livelihood by growing vegetables. Rajamma M., Mary Varkey, Valsala L., Elisho S., and Praseeda Sumesh, aged between 70 and 39, pooled their savings, rented a piece of land and began their collective vegetable farming journey under the Deepam Krishi group.