By Lima Varghese
Indore: The Honesty Foundation of Goa on December 30 honored nine high students from around India for imbibing and practising ethical and moral values.
A virtual function to confer the “Honesty Awards” was held on the last day of the annual three-day Knit India program organized by the Indore-based Universal Solidarity Movement.
The awards comprise10,001 rupees and a certificate.
While addressing more than 500 participants of the function, Anil D’Souza, a trustee of Honesty foundation, congratulated the recipients of the awards for their honest way of living, by imbibing and practicing ethical and moral values.
He also said that honesty is not mere telling the truth, but basically being honest to oneself. He appealed to school principals and parents to institute honesty awards in their respective schools and workplaces for promoting honesty.
Four of the awardees came from Madhya Pradesh, central India, two from Maharashtra, west, one each from Haryana (north), Odisha (east) and Tamil Nadu (south).
The winners from Madhya Pradesh are Nilay Rawal of Carmel Convent Sr. Sec. School, Neemuch, Aatra Ansari, St. Mary’s Convent Senior Secondary School, Bhopal, Bhakti Jugani of Servite Convent Senor Secondary School, Hoshangabad, and Sara Qureshi of Carmel Convent School, Gwalior,
The Maharashtra winners are Mrunali Bhiungade of Auxilium Convent School, Lonawala, and Komal Chauthe of St. Joseph’s English High School, Buldana.
The others are Cruz Joshna of St. Joseph’s Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Mabel Jacqueline Fernandes of St. Anthony’s Secondary School, Faridabad, Haryana, and Ajinkya Sanjay Ghoratkar of St Arnold’s School, Jhartarang, Odisha.
The awards were set up on December 30, 2012, by Bernardo D’Souza, an industrialist from Goa, It was in answer to his quest for something that nobody had done so far.
He realized that instead of lamenting over the spread of corruption, the source of all evils, it was better to promote honesty, the mother of the virtues like love, compassion, kindness and justice.
D’Souza entrusted USM the task of selecting the awardees and organizing the award ceremony every year. In the past nine years, the foundation has given the awards to 67 students for practicing honesty in their lives.
The awardees are selected in consultation with the principals of the schools based on the criteria decided by the Honesty Foundation.
Bishop Chacko Thottumarickal of Indore, who presided over the award function, commended the awardees saying that honesty manifests the God who is present in humans.
Chief Guest of the function Doctor Victor Paul, head of the Department of Social Work and Sociology of Christ University, Bangalore, stressed the need for ‘Action and Reflection’ to become an honest person.