BHATKAL: The golden jubilee celebrations of Anand Ashram Convent School, Bhatkal  got off to a colorful start  with an inaugural ceremony on January 7, 2023, held  n its festively decorated campus in the coastal town. 

The ceremony was marked by the presence of seven students of the first batch of the convent which was founded in 1973.

Rev Sr Juilana Pais, Deputy Secretary, UFES, Mangaluru Province, was the chief guest while Rev Sr Clara Menezes, Provincial Superior, Mangalore Province, presided over the ceremony. Rev Fr Premkumar D’Souza, Parish Priest, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Mundalli, Bhatkal, was present on the occasion. 

Among the guests of honour were Rev Sr Barbara Franco and Rev Sr Bibiana Norona, headmistress and assistant headmistress, respectively, of the first-batch students. 

First-batch students Aftab Husain Kola, Salman Ahmed Jubapu, Mrs Asma Farhana, Nadeem Shabandri, Sebastian Johni D’Souza, Mrs. Farzana Abdul Hadi Soudagar, and  Mrs. Parveen Mohammed Yusuf Chitrigi were present. 

Reminiscing about the golden school days, Aftab  Kola said: "Through the galleries of my mind, I can still picture the scenes of those beautiful, memorable years. Being a member of the first outgoing batch of any school is always an honour. We were really fortunate.” 

Rev Sr Lucy D'Souza, Correspondent; Rev Sr Anitha Pinto, Superior; Rev Sr Vinutha D'Souza, Principal of Anand Ashram Composite PU College; Rev Sr Irene Matthias, Principal of Joy land Play Home; and Nagaraj E H, Vice President of PTA, were also present on the occasion. 

Rev Sr Saritha Thoras, the present Principal of Anand Ashram Convent English Medium Higher Primary school, welcomed the guests. Students enthralled the audience with their cultural programmes. The school has planned year-long events that will conclude with a grand valedictory function scheduled for November 25, 2023.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Mangaluru: The Department of Occupational Therapy at Yenepoya (Deemed to be University) conducted a community-based Autism Awareness Campaign at Fiza Mall and Ullal Beach in the city.

The campaign was aimed at promoting awareness, inclusion, and early identification of autism, in line with the global theme, “Autism and Humanity – Every Life Has Value.” 

The programme was led by Dr. Dhayanithi K and Dr. Ananya Jana as organising chairpersons, with Dr. Anas, Dr. Amanda S. Phillip, and Dr. Ansu V. David served as organising members.

Students of the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOT) programme participated in conducting the campaign.

The event included activities such as flash mobs, street plays, face painting, mehendi, and direct interaction with the public.

These activities focused on highlighting early signs of autism, the need for early intervention, and the importance of inclusion and acceptance of individuals with autism.

The campaign reached around 300 to 500 members of the public. It also provided students with practical exposure to community-based rehabilitation and public health education.

As part of the initiative, QR-based digital resources were introduced to help the public access reliable information on autism. 

“Awareness is the first step towards inclusion, and early intervention can significantly improve outcomes,” the organising team said.

The department thanked the university for its support in organising the campaign. It also acknowledged the cooperation of the management of Fiza Mall and the Ullal Beach Police Department in facilitating the event.