A new free Civil Services Academy being set up by the Faizal and Shabana Foundation in association with Perinthalmanna-based KREA (Knowledge, Resources, Empowerment, Activity) had its soft launch at Tulah International Wellness Centre at Chelembra near Calicut University on Saturday.
About 100 civil services aspirants of the maiden batch interacted with Huma Abedin, former White House political staffer and a long-time aide of Hillary Clinton, during the soft launch.
Ms. Huma reminded the aspirants of the significant role each of them had to play in nation building. She said that civil services would help each person make use of their individual qualities and personalities for the nation building.
At the same time, she said, everyone in the civil service should vie to design their life in a better fashion. She advised them to have the patience and large-heartedness to listen to each person coming in front of them with various issues.
Ms. Huma said that civil services personnel had a great role to play in strengthening democratic and secular values in the country. Civil services personnel, according to her, should be able to accept all sections of people.
She inspired the young crowd by sharing her life experience at the White House. She said she had joined the White House at age 19, but none dissuaded or prevented her when she started offering daily prayers and observing the Ramzan fasting. She said her colleagues respected her personality, and she advised the youngsters not to surrender their individualities in front of anyone.
Najeeb Kanthapuram, MLA, who heads KREA as part of his educational initiative in Perinthalmanna constituency, presided over the function. Faizal and Shabana Foundation heads Faizal Kottikollon and Shabana Faizal, industrialists M.V. Shreyams Kumar, P.K. Ahamed, and foundation director Joseph Sebastian spoke.
IAS officers Aboobacker Siddik and Shahid Thiruvallur, this year’s civil services winners Shahin Jithu and K. Sangeet also addressed the students.
The Faizal and Shabana Foundation had attracted international attention by lifting the Government Vocational Higher Secondary School for Girls at Nadakkavu, Kozhikode, to global standards.
According to Mr. Kanthapuram, the Civil Services Academy named after the late Panakkad Syed Hyderali Shihab Thangal was the first of its kind in the State offering free residential coaching to 100 students from Malabar.
