President Pratibha Patil on Tuesday inaugurated a science laboratory at Escuela Republica De La India School, which is funded by India. On the occasion, she donated 30,000 dollars for the modernization of the school.
Santiago (Chile), April 23 : President Pratibha Patil on Tuesday inaugurated a science laboratory at Escuela Republica De La India School, which is funded by India. On the occasion, she donated 30,000 dollars for the modernization of the school.
The school conducts classes from grades one to eight with emphasis on Indian culture, and has a total strength of 790 students, taught by 29 teachers.
The School is located in the municipality of Quinta Normal, which is in the central sector of Santiago. It receives an annual grant of Rs. 50,000 from New Delhi.
On July 26, 1960, the school was named as Republic of India School by an agreement between the Principal of the school, in the presence of the embassy of India and Ministry of Education.
It celebrates important festivals and birth anniversaries of India's Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and India's first prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The school also organizes functions on January 26 and August 15.
Speaking on the occasion, the President said:"I am happy that we are dedicating it to the memory of India's first Prime Minster Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Nothing was closer to the heart of Pandit Nehru than children whom he considered the biggest asset of the nation.
He also believed that there was no greater tool than science to shift the destiny of human kind."
Jolly Shiblani, an Indian origin Chilean woman, said that it is good that Chilean children are learning our culture and customs.
Indian Ambassador in Chile Susmita G. Thomas said that it is a tremendous bridge between the young minds of two countries.
During her three-day visit to Chile, President Patil held talks with her Chilean counterpart Veronica Michelle Bachelet Jeria, besides having meetings with the leader of the Senate and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Chile. She will leave Chile today. By Ravinder Singh Robin
ANI