Govt. committed to ensuring equal opportunities and dignity for children with special needs: Minister

Labour Minister Bindhu Krishna with the participants of BUDS Olympia 3.0 in Kollam on Saturday.

The State government is fully committed to ensuring equal opportunities and a life of dignity for children with special needs, said Minister for Women and Child Development Bindhu Krishna here on Saturday.

Inaugurating ‘BUDS Olympia 3.0’, a district-level sports meet organised by the Kudumbashree District Mission for students of BUDS institutions, at the Thevally Government Model Higher Secondary School, the Minister stressed that differently-abled children require self-confidence and social inclusion rather than sympathy.

“The government remains actively focused on providing therapy to all who need it while prioritising their health, education, nutrition, safety, and personal development,” she said.

Highlighting the concerning rise in juvenile delinquency, she urged parents and teachers to pay equal attention to children’s mental well-being alongside their physical health. Prior to the inaugural ceremony, the Minister flagged off and took the salute at an impressive march-past featuring children from 39 BUDS institutions across the district.

The district sports meet brought together 335 intellectually challenged children from 36 institutions, including students from local BUDS schools and trainees from Buds Rehabilitation Centres.

Competitions spanned 31 individual and group events categorized into sub-junior, junior, and senior divisions for both boys and girls.

Participants showcased fierce spirit in track and field events such as the 50-meter and 100-meter sprints, standing broad jump, long jump, softball throw, shot put, and relay races. The senior category also featured competitive wheelchair races and wheelchair basketball throw events.