Rural Health Assurance

A webinar on the topic “Rural Health Assurance” was successfully organized by Vivekananda Kendra, NARDEP, Kanyakumari under the Vasudha – Towards Sustainable Living initiative.

The session was held on Sunday, 29th March 2026 at 10:00 AM through Google Meet. The webinar aimed to highlight the importance of strengthening healthcare systems in rural areas and creating awareness about accessible and sustainable medical services.

The resource person for the session was Dr. Uihas Jajoo, MD (Medicine), who serves as the Director Professor, Department of Medicine at Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (MGIMS), Sevagram, Maharashtra.

Dr. Jajoo delivered an insightful talk focusing on:

• The current challenges in rural healthcare delivery
• The importance of preventive healthcare and early diagnosis
• Community participation in improving health standards
• Sustainable approaches to ensure long-term rural health assurance

The session was informative and thought-provoking, encouraging participants to understand the critical need for improving healthcare infrastructure in rural regions. It also emphasized the role of individuals and organizations in contributing to holistic rural development.

The webinar witnessed active participation, and the attendees benefitted from the expert insights shared during the session.

Overall, the program was a meaningful initiative towards promoting awareness and action in the field of rural health.

Universal Brotherhood Day Celebration in Kanyakumari by VK Nardep

Vivekananda Kendra Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu Prant, Natural Resources Development Project (VK-Nardep), marked Universal Brotherhood Day from 11th to 27th September 2025, reaching 469 participants through celebration programmes at 15 places in Kanyakumari district. The initiatives highlighted Swami Vivekananda’s historic message of harmony and oneness, as delivered at the 1893 Chicago Parliament of Religions.

On 13th September, a special celebration was held at Manavalakalai Mandram Arakattalai, Kottaram, with the enthusiastic participation of 100 women. Shri. Vasudeo ji, Prakalpa Sanghatak, VK-Nardep and Shri. Ramakrishnan Anna, Prakalpa Pramukh, VK-Nardep joined the event. The programme emphasized unity among women, strengthening the spirit of social service and mutual support in daily life.

The Training Center at Kalluvilai, Varma Resource & Research Center hosted Universal Brotherhood Day for Varma course students.

• On 12th September, the observance involved the second-year class, with 27 participants. Dr. Kumaresan and Dr. Muthu Santhi presided, and Shri. Vijayaraghavan Anna, Vyavastha Pramukh, VK-Nardep delivered an inspiring talk on universal brotherhood.
• On 26th September, the first-year class commemorated the day, attended by 25 students and special guest Vai. Ashok Kumar. Shri. Vijayaraghavan Anna again emphasized the importance of unity and the ideals espoused by Swami Vivekananda.

From 11th to 27th September, Universal Brotherhood Day was spread to 12 villages, engaging 317 women from self-help groups. Events included interactive discussions, reflections on Swamiji’s message, and cultural activities. Key speakers included Shri. Ramakrishnan Anna and Shri. Vijayaraghavan Anna, representing Vivekananda Kendra at each location.
Notable guests such as Shri. Sankaranarayanan, retired BSNL JE, Shri. Murugan, Kishan Shang, and Smt. Kesini, retired Tahasildar of Agastheeswaram Taluk also enriched the programmes with their presence and words.

Across all venues, the celebrations were marked by active participation, meaningful presentations, and a spirit of harmony. VK-Nardep’s arrangement fostered a sense of unity among diverse groups, empowering women, students, and volunteers to carry forward Swami Vivekananda’s vision of universal brotherhood and selfless service.

International Day of Yoga 2025 Celebrations by VK-NARDEP

 

As a part of the International Day of Yoga 2025 celebrations, Vivekananda Kendra Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu Prant, Natural Resources Development Project (VK- NARDEP), organised yoga sessions at three different locations on 21st June 2025, drawing a total of 90 enthusiastic participants. The celebrations highlighted yoga as a way of life based on the vision of oneness.                                             

Yoga Session at Kottaram Manavalakalai Manram Arakkattalai

The first session was held at Kottaram Manavalakalai Manram Arakkattalai between 10 AM and 12 PM. The programme commenced with a prayer, followed by a welcome address by Smt. T.S. Deepa, Secretary of the Trust.

Shri. Ambalavanan, Head of the Karpaaga Vinayaga Devasthanam Trust, graced the occasion as the chief guest. His encouraging words set the tone for a meaningful observance of the day. Shri. Vijayaraghavan Anna, Vyavastha Pramukh, VK-NARDEP, addressed the gathering, speaking on the importance and relevance of Yoga in today’s fast-paced world.

Participants were guided through a set of simple asanas and pranayama practices, reinforcing yoga’s accessibility to all age groups. The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Smt. Vaani Amma, Treasurer of the Trust. Around 30 people actively participated in this session.

  Celebration at Panchalingapuram

The second celebration took place in a residential setting at Panchalingapuram, where women and children from the surrounding locality gathered enthusiastically. The informal and community-based session created a warm and inclusive environment.

Led by Shri. Vijayaraghavan Anna, the participants engaged in the practice of few asanas and pranayama. The session promoted a spirit of togetherness especially among homemakers and young learners. This location too saw 30 participants taking part in the event.

Session at International Institute of Tamil Literature

The third yoga session was organised at the International Institute of Tamil Literature, where 30 participants gathered to celebrate the spirit of Yoga. Shri. A.S. Ashok Kumar, Salem Branch In-Charge of Vivekananda Kendra, led the session, guiding the participants through various asana sequences and pranayama exercises designed to enhance physical flexibility and mental calmness.

The International Day of Yoga 2025 by VK-nardep was a testimony to how yoga continues to unify and uplift communities, one breath at a time.

Green Energy to Green Economy

This month newsletter brings you an excerpt from our newly published book on renewable energy. It shows graphically the renewable energy scenario and also the way we can tackle the energy problem through innovative and creative solutions.  Apart from the renewable energy statistics of the nation we also present in the excerpt decentralized energy solutions like Bio-methanation plant and also wind energy systems. In the 'Green Rameshwaram' project both are relevant. The book has been published as part of the 'Green Rameshwaram' project and sponsored by UNICEF's 'Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) initiative.  In fact 11 books have been published by VK-nardep under the WaSH initiative of UNICEF under the Green Rameshwaram project and our newsletter will introduce them all one by one.

Handwriting Workshop at VKV Tezpur Meanwhile under the UNICEF initiative we have been conducting street plays to sensitize the public as well as the pilgrims about the need for 'Green Rameshwaram'.  Read about the local youths conducting street plays to take the message of green and clean Rameshwaram to the public. They are not professionals but they are fired with zeal and determination and are doing a wonderful job of disseminating the messages of tree planting to cleaning the beaches of Rameshwaram.

In our 'happenings' section read about the Azolla training programme, workshop of NPK rich manure preparation, bio-methanation plant awareness camps and training programmes and also the installation of bio-methanation plants. Through 'Green Rameshwaram' project the island has started having quite a number of bio-methanation plants which convert the domestic organic waste into energy and nutrient rich slurry. We aim to create as much as possible energy self-sufficiency in the households of the island. This is will also ease out the pressure on fuel wood and make the island relatively free of  Prosopis juliflora - which is a veritable environmental problem with economic entanglement and livelihood issues of low income groups in the island.

Handwriting Workshop at VKV Tezpur In our publication section we present eco-toons on green health systems. In the wisdom section we explore how the economic growth and ecological concerns can be harmonized. We present the vision of Lester Brown, J.C.Kumarappa the Gandhian ecologist and also biologist John Todd. We also remind you that 2015 has been chosen by UN as the International Year of the Soil. Soil is both a living organism in its own way and also it is as non-renewable as oil in another perspective. Do not miss to read about this in the newsletter.

You can download and read the complete newsletter here.

Making every pilgrimage an Eco-pilgrimage: This month Newsletter

Vk Nardep Newsletter June 2013

VKNARDEP : Newsletter May 2012

Green Fire in a Wolf's Eyes and Deep Ecology  

This is a short preview of what you get in this month newsletter 

Deep ecology is not just theory and understanding of an analytical science. It is based on a deeper and holistic experience. What do the green fire in a dying wolf's eye and the voice of a mountain tell an ecologist? Read how an unitary experience becomes the basis of for the transformation of a conventional ecologist into a deep ecologist. In this newsletter we present an excerpt from a lecture by Stephen Harding on 'Deep Ecology'. Also this month we pay homage to great science fiction writer Ray Bradbury whose science fictions always carried words of caution against destructive self-alienation of human being in a technology dominated future.

This month we had a variety of networking events including two camps for children for inculcating 'scientific temper'. Students immensely enjoyed the groups activities in proximity with nature and sessions on science in every day living. On the occassion the students were also given a manual for inculcating scientific temper in the young minds. You can also read about this publication in our publications section of this newsletter. We also had a workshop on traditional bone setting techniques which was attended by a large number of medicial professionals, traditional physicians and Siddha medical students. We also had panchayat members from Maharashtra who went through technology awareness camps for eco-village concept to be implemented by Maharashtra government.

In the session on wisdom we have three savants: Elisabet Sahtouris a Systems biologists provides a comparison between the emerging systems view of life and how it resonates with ancient wisdom traditions. Sri Aurobindo shows the inner evolution at work in the dynamic canvass of nature. Then nature photographer and theosophist John Van Mater shows how evolution takes life and intelligence to the next plane.
You can download our newsletter and read it all by clicking here

 

Power from waste: Vivekananda Kendra shows the way

The town Panchayat is today powered by the biogas-generated electricity

Mamallapuram in Tamil Nadu is an internationally renowned tourist destination.

Though the town itself houses a modest population of just 12,345 in about 400 households, it generates a huge volume of waste – mainly kitchen waste from various hotels and restaurants.

An NGO from Kanyakumari called Vivekananda Kendra (Vk- nardep) built a solid waste management shed at the town panchayat for collecting and processing the entire waste for feeding into a bio-gas plant.

“The Kendra constructed the biogas plant (of 100 cubic metre volume) — a floating drum like device attached to a designed biogas engines that are in turn connected to specially designed control panels.

Effective disposing

“The solid waste management shed of the Panchayat is today powered by the biogas-generated-electricity.

“Once the plant started functioning, the panchayat disposed a lot of waste in a constructive way using this plant. The hygiene of the surroundings also improved,” says the Kendra secretary G.Vasudeo.

Scientists from the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Coimbatore and officials from Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA) visited the project and recommended it for subsidy from the Government.

“Every kilowatt of energy produced through such renewable energy sources is eligible for subsidy. This village panchayat generates about 10 Kilowatts of electricity from its organic kitchen waste thereby becoming eligible for subsidy worth Rs 4 lakh,” says Mr. Vasudeo.

Once a small town or village becomes a popular tourist place, almost the entire livelihood of that place starts depending on its tourism industry.

“Increased waste generation and absence of effective solutions to tackle it affect the health of the people and also hits tourist flow. Sadly, today urban tourist centers as well as cities are becoming a hub of food waste being dumped in the kitchen backyards,” he adds.

Waste generation

A typical major tourist or pilgrimage centre generates 10-35 tonnes of waste per day, higher than the per capita in urban areas.

Such a problem needs to be tackled innovatively both technologically and socially, that too on a war footing.

“Disposing of waste, particularly kitchen waste, poses a big problem everywhere. Often the sight of accumulated garbage heaps at road corners and in open grounds and fields becomes a nuisance for the residents.

“These rubbish heaps become a breeding ground for many infections and are frequented by stray dogs,” he says.

Vicious cycle

Effectively tackling this problem becomes imperative as it remains a vicious cycle. The challenge of converting the waste into wealth at Mamallapuram is a joint effort of a Chennai based NGO, ‘Hand in Hand', which, along with Vivekananda Kendra set up a large Bio-methanation plant from their Natural resources development project.

The Kendra has been doing research and field work in this area for the last 10 years and is credited for developing low volume bio-methanation plants that are suitable for both urban and rural households.

In addition to this the Kendra also developed a bio-gas slurry based agro-inputs package and made the dissemination of this technology more efficient.

Collection

“We started collecting kitchen and vegetable wastes from the town Panchayat and collected more than 550 kg to 600 kg of kitchen wastes for feeding the plant,” adds Mr. Vasudeo.

Thus a unique combination of governmental agencies, voluntary organisations, and sustainable energy technologists made a tourist centre in the present globalised environment more ecologically healthy and economically vibrant.

For more details and visit readers can contact Mr. G.Vasudeo, Secretary, Vivekananda Kendra - NARDEP, Kanyakumari - 629 702, Tamil Nadu, e.mail : vknardep[at]gmail.com, website: www.vknardep.org, phone 04652- 246296 (office).

Courtesy : The Hindu

Ref : http://www.vkendra.org/Power-from-waste-Vivekananda-Kendra-shows-the-way-sept2011

Vivekananda Kendra NARDEP - June NewsLetter

Vknardep June 2011