The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated the Sri Shankara National Centre for Cancer Prevention & Research and Adamya Chetana Seva Utsav-2017 today (December 30, 2016) at Bengaluru.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said that long term sustainable solutions for socio-economic problems like health, education and hunger can come only through the collective efforts of Governments, Voluntary Organizations and the people. He said structures thus created will supplement each other's efforts and ensure that development reaches everyone in the society. The President called upon all stakeholders to develop a cooperative spirit in this regard.
Recalling the UN Social Summit in 1995 in Copenhagen, which he had attended as then Dy. Chairman of the Planning Commission, the President said one of the 10 commitments adopted by the Summit was elimination of hunger especially among children. He said it was the responsibility of people at large across the world to work towards removing social inequality. He added that this commitment was of extreme importance since feeding a child amounted to feeding a generation and feeding the future.
Complementing Bengaluru for its rapid growth, the President said the city has emerged as an education and health hub of not only Karnataka but the entire country. He said the cooperative spirit visible in Bangalore has the potential of making India self sufficient, self reliant and self dependent.
Among dignitaries present on the occasion were Shri Vajubhai Vala, Governor of Karnataka; Shri Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister of Karnataka and Shri Ananth Kumar, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Chemical and Fertilizers.