Mangaluru : Teachers to infuse positive thoughts among students to keep the social fabric intact, B. Ramanath Rai, Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada, said here on Tuesday that teachers have a pivotal role to play in promoting communal harmony.

Addressing teachers at a district-level Teachers Day programme at the Town Hall, the Minister said that of late Dakshina Kannada is being called a communally sensitive region for all the wrong reasons. Teachers have a greater responsibility in shaping the young minds not to get diverted by communal elements, he said.

Mr. Rai said that though the district is known for high literacy rate, it was sad to see the growing mistrust among communities. Teachers have the onerous responsibility of restoring communal harmony in the district. The Minister said that young minds are very soft and they freely receive the thoughts coming from their teachers. Thoughts on building solidarity should be infused in young minds, he said.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister U.T. Khader said that the State government will provide support to teachers for developing skills.

As many as 14 teachers from primary and secondary schools received the best teacher award on Tuesday.

The seven teachers from the secondary school section who received the award are: Sheikh Adam Saheb from Government Pre University College, Vagga, Bantwal; Vishwanath Gowda K. from Government Secondary School, Guruvayanakere, Belthangady; John Chandran from St. Aloysius Secondary School, Mangaluru, Vinayakumari Y. from Bharath Secondary School, Ullal, Mahadev from Government Secondary School, Aliyuru, Moodbidri, Satish Bhat from Ramakunjeshwara Secondary School, Puttur, and Dayanand N.K. from Government Secondary School Yelimale, Sullia.

The seven teachers from primary schools who received the awards are Narayana Poojary from Government Higher Primary School, Maji, Bantwal; Sharada G. from Government Upgraded Higher Primary School, Padangady, Belthangady; Shankar from Government Higher Primary School, Madya, Mangaluru; Udayakumari K. from Kuvempu Centenary Model Higher Primary School, Nalyapadavu, Mangaluru; Seena Naika from Government Model Higher Primary School, Moodbidri; Ningaraju K.P. from Government Higher Primary School, Alankaru, Puttur; and Yashoda M.B. from Government Upgraded Higher Primary School, Kolcharu, Sullia. Vasanti K., science teacher from Ramakrishna Secondary School, Puttur, and Sanjeev, headmaster from Government Higher Primary School, Bolantimogaru, Bantwal, who won the State-level best teacher award in 2016, were felicitated.