A Salesian priest from Assam who has worked for over two decades with Mising community of Assam for their social and educational up-lift has been honoured with the Jewel of India award.
Fr. K. A. Thomas, SDB founder-director of Institution for Culture And Rural Development (I-CARD), Jorhat, was awarded the “Jewel of India Gold Medal Award” and a Certificate of Excellence, by the International Institute of Education and Management (IIEM), New Delhi.
The award was presented by Dr. Bhishmanarayan Singh, former Governor of Assam, for his excellent community development services. The award ceremony was held during a seminar on “Education and Socio Economic Development” at the Indian Society of International Law, on 25 th July, 2016.
On the same occasion, the Indian Solidarity Council, New Delhi, presented Fr. Thomas “Vijay Rattan Gold Medal Award” and a Certificate of Excellence for his outstanding achievements.
It is to be noted that Fr. K. A. Thomas, was given a fellowship by Ashoka Innovators for the Public, a USA based organization. Thus already in 2002, he had became one of 250 specially selected social entrepreneurs of India for his work with school dropouts. Ashoka thus recognized him as a high caliber entrepreneur by this award into a global Fellowship.
I-Card has been serving the Mising community for several years now to train youths, especially school dropouts, in community development services.
Since 2003 scores of youths of the Mising community called Takars take pledge to serve their community after having undergone training in various disciplines, namely community service and spirituality, for two years at the centre.