On the momentous occasion of 125^th Birth Anniversary of our visionary founder Dr. T.M.A. Pai, the Pharmacy Literacy Club (PLC), Centre for Public Health Pharmacy, Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MAHE, Manipal conducted ‘Katha - A Book Donation Drive: Moulding Minds and Igniting Imaginations’, during 31 July to 2 August 2023 in collaboration with the Chosen Generation Charitable Trust, Udupi. 

‘Katha’ was an initiative to bridge the gap in access to educational resources for underprivileged children. While millions of students in India cannot afford the books they wish to read, there are privileged people who have the same books lying on their shelves. “With this campaign, we aimed to collect books that could help children in need, ranging from children's novels to textbooks, to establish a library in Yeshwanthpur Railway depot, Bangalore” said Mr Skanda N, President of PLC. The event was inspired by the fact that education and cognitive stimulation of the brain through reading improve cognitive performance in children. 

Collection kiosks were set up in two different locations for the drive: namely – OPD, Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, and MCOPS front gate. The event proved to be a resounding success, as a total of 471 books were collected, covering various subjects, including academics (up to 12th grade), non-academic novels, and children’s literature in English, Hindi, and Kannada. Moreover, it helped to foster a sense of shared responsibility among the students participating in the event about the importance of giving back to the community. God TV Kannada provided media coverage on the second day of the event, wherein they interviewed the volunteers present.