Area of operations

Headquarters in Vijayawada, Krishna District. Operational throughout Andhra Pradesh, India working in coastal, drought prone and urban areas.

Objects and purpose

a) To impart & promote scientific, secular, democratic & cosmopolitan outlook among people through various educational processes and to make them better citizens by helping them to realize their responsibilities and to discharge their duties in society.
b) To establish educational institutions and training centres at various levels for promoting formal, nonformal and experimental education, adult education & social education, and skills for self reliance.
c) To impart training & promote research in academic & practical fields
d) To impart & improve skills among people in agriculture, industry, commerce and trade
e) To promote health education & establish hospitals & other medical programmes
f) To promote fine arts for cultural and moral development
g) To help & promote peaceful, nonviolent and constructive activities for social change, and Positive Atheism
h) To produce, print and publish literature for disseminating rational and secular approach, scientific outlook and civic consciousness
i) To hold exhibitions of science & arts at various places

Main activities

Atheist Centre is involved in comprehensive secular social work activities for promoting social change through nonviolent approach. Promotion of atheism as a positive way of life, World Atheist Conferences, publication of journals & literature, atheist study camps, intercaste, inter-religion marriages, investigating witchcraft & sorcery, promotion of science & scientific outlook through exhibitions, disaster preparedness, short stay home for women victims of torture, health & sex education, tribal development, criminal reformation, handloom weaver's rehabilitation, coastal fisherfolk rehabilitation, rehabilitation of disabled & elderly, polio corrective surgeries, rural medical camps, utilizing art & dance to promote atheism & humanism, child centered community devp., vocational skills, adult education, habitat improvement, livelihood promotion etc

Areas of special interest

Promotion of Atheism as an alternative way of life and secular social work for comprehensive development. Magazines published: Atheist Monthly published since 1969 and Nasthika Margam Monthly in Telugu published since 1977. With regard to the Radio and TV Programs, hundred of programs were broadcast on issues related to children, women, youth, environment, disasters, social problems, philosophy, art, drama, dance, music, atheism & humanism, scientific temper, sex education, HIV AIDs, alternative sources of energy, human rights, advocacy & networking, critical thinking etc.

Alternative email address:

To Benefit Those Who Seek Further Awareness of Their Own Lack of Theism

The philosophy of Positive Atheism was begun by Gora in India. Gora founded Atheist Centre and worked to end untouchability in India. He eventually met Mahatma Gandhi and they later worked together toward India's independence, which occurred in 1947. He also worked with India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, an atheist, urging him to support the formation of a secular government in the then predominantly Hindu nation of India. He later worked to establish a network of charitable organizations rivaling those in the United States, and putting to shame claims made about the allegedly wonderful work of Mother Teresa.

In his book Positive Atheism, Gora urges many social institutions that we do not advocate here. We prefer, instead, to focus upon a few of the personal elements within Gora's ethic. The philosophy of Positive Atheism, as we advocate it here, is not a parroting of Gora's philosophy at all. We are using the same name to launch a new variation of atheism. Initially we were inspired by several elements of Gora's and Gandhi's original philosophy, but our philosophy is tailored more to the cultural situations in the West, modernized to meet the challenges of the 21st century. We also take into consideration the controversies that have faced both personal and organized atheism since Gora flourished.

Finally, many elements of today's political and cultural situations differ vastly from the one Gora tried to change. Some things Gora didn't know fifty years ago are common knowledge even to middle-school students today. To simply parrot Gora's philosophy would be to dogmatize it -- and dogmatic thinking is what we seek to minimize in ourselves and (hopefully) in those around us. One important element in Gora's outlook will probably never change: that is the importance of truthfulness in one's personal ethic. So, we took Gora's unique views on truthfulness as a springboard upon which to develop a new philosophy, and obtained permission from Gora's son, Lavanam, to use the name "Positive Atheism" both for our philosophy and for our magazine.