Keralam launches scientific temper initiative and student assistance app
Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan inaugurated the first Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Scientific Temper sub-centre at a Thiruvananthapuram women's college.
Keralam Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan inaugurated the first Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Scientific Temper sub-centre at the Government College for Women (GCW) in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, according to The Hindu.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) government intends to set up 300 such sub-centres in colleges, a move that was included in the State Budget and was a pre-poll promise.
The event also saw the launch of the Sidharthan Students Assistance App, which allows students to report grievances and ragging. Both the centres and the app are being coordinated by the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC).
Mr. Satheesan said the centres aim to help students develop a scientific outlook and a spirit of inquiry. He stated that scientific temper is an approach to understanding life through reason and evidence, rather than an opposition to religious or personal beliefs.
The Sidharthan Students Assistance App was launched in memory of J.S. Sidharthan, a 20-year-old undergraduate student who died in a Wayanad college hostel two years ago. The Chief Minister assured that the identities of students filing complaints would be kept confidential.
Higher Education Minister Roji M. John said the app will first be used in specific institutions as a trial before a state-wide rollout. The minister also noted that the government plans to introduce separate anti-ragging legislation.