Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Jail inmates get course certificates

Thiruvananthapuram: The Department of Education and Culture will conduct programmes to hone the artistic talents of jail inmates, Education Minister M.A. Baby has said.

He said this at a function held here on Tuesday to give away certificates to the inmates of the Thiruvananthapuram Central Jail who successfully completed computer courses under the Jail Knowledge Centre scheme jointly implemented by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), the Confederation of NGOs of Rural India (CNRI) and the P.N. Panicker Vigyan Vikas Kendra. Mr. Baby said the inmates should make use of distance education programmes to garner knowledge and succeed in life. “Many of the world famous writers wrote their best works in the jails. Jawaharlal Nehru wrote ‘The Discovery of India’ and Socrates learnt music in the prison cells. Going by these, jails could be transformed into centres of knowledge,” he said. Panniyan Raveendran, MP, presided over the function. Additional Director General of Police K.P. Somarajan, P.N. Panicker Vigyan Vikas Kendra vice-chairman N. Balagopal, IGNOU assistant director M. Rajesh, Jail Superintendent K. Radhakrishnan and M.R. Thamban were also present.

IGNOU has been conducting various computer courses at the Central Jail, under the Knowledge Centre scheme, as part of the P.N. Panicker birth centenary celebrations. The scheme is aimed at academic training and skill development of prisoners through practical training in computer and multimedia education and distance education.

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