Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada Automobile & Tyre Dealers’ Association has instituted ‘Auto Vidya Scheme’, an innovative welfare measure to provide a scholarship to the children of its members’ employees to pursue higher education. The scheme was formally instituted on the occasion of 34th Annual General Meeting of the Association which was held on Sunday, 16th September 2018 at Centenary Hall of Pompeii Church, Lady Hill Circle, Mangalore.
This is perhaps the first trade association in the entire country to initiate a continuing welfare programme exclusively for the children of employees of association members. It is a boon for the employees working in the unorganized sector who have very limited access to social security. As per the terms of the scheme, meritorious students who are children of employees will be eligible to get full college fees for pursuing PUC, Graduation or polytechnic diploma studies. The scheme will come into effect from the coming academic year itself.
The scheme has been named ‘Auto Ratna Maroor Padmanabha Pai Auto Vidya Scheme’ in memory of the Association’s Past President Late Maroor Padmanabha Pai who had donated an amount of Rs. 40,000/- as his last wish for initiating a welfare programme under the Association banner. After his demise, his family members contributed a further amount of Rs. One Lakh to start a corpus for an educational scholarship scheme. Subsequently, the Association decided to formulate a long-term funding mechanism of its own in order to make this scheme into a perpetual programme.
Felicitation of Outstanding Students
During the last eight years, the association has been felicitating the children of both members and members’ employees during the Annual General Meeting. This year 18 students were felicitated with certificates and cash awards for their extraordinary academic performance in SSLC and PUC examinations. The Association also conferred ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ on Shri Pangal Rabindra Nayak, an industry veteran and former managing director of Hanuman Transport Co., Ltd., Udupi for his extraordinary contribution to the automobile trade in the region. The award was given in absentia on account of his ill health.
Association President Shri Kasturi Prabhakar Pai welcomed the gathering. Sri K. G. Shenoy, the patron, delivered the keynote address. Secretary Sri K. Vilas Kumar presented the annual report of the association. Treasurer Sri Maroor Shashidhar Pai presented the financial accounts of the Association. Joint Secretary Shri R. P. D’souza proposed the vote of thanks.
AGM was followed by a cultural programme and family get-together which was compared by Sri Preetham Kumar Nayak.
