<span style="color: #222222;">Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu attended a ceremony to commemorate the 150th  death anniversary of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara in Kottayam today. The Vice President has said that Saint Chavara, who engaged himself as a spiritual, educational, social, and cultural reformer of the Kerala society in the 19th century, was a true visionary in every sense of the term. His initiative of setting up schools for children from all communities and providing them mid-day meals was a path-breaking initiative, Mr. Naidu said. The Vice President also urged other states to take a cue from Kerala in the fields of education, social justice, and women's empowerment.  <br />''<br />''He also pointed out that every state can be transformed into an engine of growth and progress through the social and educational empowerment of women and youth belonging to poorer sections of society. Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan, Kerala Cooperation Minister V.N. Vasavan, Thomas Chazhikadan MP, and other dignitaries also attended the event. After completing four-day visit to Lakshadweep and Kerala, the Vice President will return from Kochi Naval Airport, this evening. Yesterday, the Vice President visited the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant being constructed at the Cochin Shipyard. He also laid foundation stone for the towed array integration centre at Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory in Kochi as part of Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav.</span><br />