The Ministry of Social Security will open its new centre for the phy­sically impaired and senior citizens at Pointe aux Sables in August next. Financed by the Luxembourg government, this project comprises the infrastructure and equipment to be used for the centre managed by the Mauritius Arya Sabha.

This collaboration between the Ministry and the Arya Sabha stems from a long partnership and in this context, the Minister of Social Security, Sheila Bappoo, was invited to the annual prize giving ceremony of the D.A.V College at the Arya Sabha on Thursday.

Bappoo highlighted the contribution of the Arya Sabha to the educational field, adding that “our country owes a debt to the Arya Samaj reform movement for having bequeathed to us its philosophical and cultural riches and more concretely, for having stood by our side in our struggle for political independence.  As a result of its effort during the past 43 years, it has established a foothold in education  through its fifteen pre-primary schools, two primary schools, two secondary schools, one of which is the D.A.V College.”

In her address to the students, she stressed the importance of education in the building of a nation. “Realizing the importance of education we have ensured that private secondary schools play an important role in the process of democratization of education. They have designed development programmes on the empowerment of the children coming from the weaker section of the society,” Bappoo said.

She expressed the wish of the Social Alliance Government to see a revolution in the field of modern education in the coming years, for a fully educated, modern and progressive nation as the country's development paradigm has changed.