The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu today asserted that there was no scope for outside interference in India’s internal matters.
Expressing his concern over the trend of foreign bodies interfering in matters that are completely within the purview of the Indian Parliament and the Indian Government, Shri Naidu said that such efforts were totally uncalled for and unwarranted and expressed hope that they would refrain from making such statements in future.
Addressing the gathering after releasing the book ‘TRG-An Enigma’ in New Delhi today, Shri Naidu said that as a mature Republic and democratic polity, India capable of addressing the concerns of its citizens and needs no advice or guidance in such matters from others.
“As a Republic of 70 years of experience, we have successfully withstood various challenges and have overcome several challenges. We are now more united than ever before and no one should have any concerns in this regard”, he said.
The Vice President complimented the people of our country for India’s successful 70-year long journey as a Republic and said that we as a nation will always be committed to Justice, Liberty and Equality for all of our citizens.
Asserting that our polity and democracy provided enough space for expressing differences and dissent whenever warranted, the Vice President said that whenever basic and fundamental rights of citizens came under threat, citizens rose in unison and defended them, as was seen against emergency. “As a result, we have emerged as the most vibrant democracy in the world”, he added.
Lauding Shri Tilak Raj Gupta’s distinguished contribution to education in India for over five long decades, the Vice President said that his humane management approach, along with his love and affection for students, staff and parents made him an outstanding educator.
Emphasizing that educators of the 21st century cannot merely be content with imparting knowledge Shri Naidu said that they must serve as true role models to children. “Educators must be capable of amalgamating new technology with ancient traditions and merging new knowledge with age-old cultural values”, he added.
The Vice President said that he had always looked upon education as a mission, something that has to be undertaken with the purest of intentions and not profit motive. He advised the best minds in each field, each discipline to turn to teaching and asked practitioners in various fields to find some time to pass on their practical experience to students.
Observing that ‘New India’ needed vibrant young thinkers who are willing to experiment and explore the various possibilities around them, he called upon the youth of the nation to become solution-makers.
The Vice President also stressed that education was meant not just to secure employment but also for enhancement of knowledge, empowerment, and enlightenment. “Education is meaningful only if it can bring out the best in every person and make them more compassionate human beings. The need of the hour is to impart value-based education”, he said.
Referring to India’s cherished ideal of ‘Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava’, the Vice President said that secularism is one of the founding principles of the nation and is a value that is ingrained in every Indian. The Vice President also said that India is one of the most vibrant, diverse and tolerant nations in the world.
Congratulating the winners of the Padma Awards that were announced recently, the Vice President also appreciated the government for recognizing these unrecognized voices.
Shri. Tilak Raj Gupta, Mrs. Pushpa Mahajan, Dr. Harsh Mahajan, and others were present on the occasion.
The following is the full text of the speech:
Shri. Tilak Raj Gupta Ji, Mrs. Pushpa Mahajan, Mrs. & Dr. Harsh Mahajan, distinguished invitees and sisters, and brothers,
I am delighted to release the book, “TRG- an Enigma”, which provides a unique insight to Shri. TR Gupta’s life and his distinguished contribution to education in India over five long decades.
Shri Tilak Raj Gupta took over the Hans Raj Model School, Punjabi Bagh, New Delhi in 1970.
The growth of the Hans Raj Model School from tents to the present beautiful complex is not only a testament of Shri T.R. Gupta’s hard work and dedication but is also a pacesetter for the 800 D.A.V. Public Schools and institutions all over the country that used this school as a model and inspiration.
His humane management approach as a Principal cum Manager over his tenure of 25 years, along with his love and affection for students, staff and parents made him an outstanding educator.
Shri Gupta was born into a poor family in village Der Gwar near Batala, in district Gurdaspur. From a tender age, Shri. TR Gupta was filled with nationalistic fervor and joined the Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh (RSS).
There is an impressive anecdote from his life that I was truly impressed to learn about. I am told that in 1948, during an agitation launched by the RSS was arrested and taken to District Jail, Gurdaspur. He was just 18 years old and the jailor met him and asked him to write a letter saying that he would not participate in any future protests and then he would be released.
But the young man refused point blank and said that if his seniors in RSS called on him, he would join the agitation again. In fact, he started trying to convert the jailor to the cause of RSS. Though he failed in changing the jailor’s mind, he won his respect and admiration.
Shri TR Gupta is also a fine orator and a talented organizer. His contributions to school education are beyond pure academics.
I am happy to note that he introduced several Arts, Sciences and Culture based workshops in the school which ensured a great blend of scientific education with cultural values, thereby ensuring the overall development of the students.
I appreciate him for ensuring that the weaker sections of society get quality free education, free transport, free books and free uniforms. This led the Government to follow this example and develop a policy regarding reaching of weaker sections of society in the public schools of Delhi.
I am happy to know that his love for education also led him to set up initiatives for the promotion of adult literacy in line with the National Policy on education. His initiatives included programs for women of slum areas and vocational courses for the deprived sections of society.
Shri. TR Gupta’s immense contribution to school education policy and programs can not be ignored.
Let me congratulate Shri T.R. Gupta for the many accomplishments that he has amassed over the course of an illustrious career. Let me also congratulate his wife, Mrs. Pushpa Mahajan, for being a pillar of support to Shri Gupta. I am happy to know that together, they raised two children Dr. Poonam Bewtra and Dr. Harsh Mahajan who are both accomplished professionals and pillars of the community.
My dear Sisters and Brothers,
As a nation of young people, India has been bestowed with an enormous demographic advantage – out of a population of more than 1.25 billion, 672 million i.e. almost 50% are in the age-group 15 to 59 years.
At this critical juncture, we must ask ourselves, are our schools and universities adequately prepared to educate young people for future challenges?
Thanks to the Right to Education Act, we have successfully increased the enrolment in schools.
We have also witnessed a rise in the number of students who complete schooling.
But we must not forget that 62 million children of school-going age, between 6 and 18 years were out-of-school in 2015.
We have also still have not been able to improve learning outcomes to the extent desired.
The solution to these problems lies in creating an education system that is built on the pillars of access, equity, quality, affordability and accountability and focuses on the creation of essential skills and the inculcation of values in our youngsters.
It should be our top priority of the country to bring out-of-school children back to schools, especially girl children.
We must also re-imagine and re-invent our teaching, training systems to improve learning outcomes.
Educators have a crucial role to play here.
In the 21st century, educators cannot merely be content with imparting knowledge, they must serve as true role models to children.
They must be capable of amalgamating new technology with ancient traditions and new knowledge with age-old cultural values.
They must shape the lives of their wards in the best manner possible so that they grow up to be ideal global citizens.
I have always looked upon education as a mission, something that has to be undertaken with the purest of intentions and not profit motive.
Through education, you are building the nation, securing a bright future for it.
I have felt that the best minds in each field, each discipline must turn to teaching. Practitioners in various fields especially must find some time to pass on their practical experience to students.
This is how you give back to society.
Building a new India is no easy task. The new India requires young and vibrant young thinkers who are willing to experiment and explore the various possibilities around them.
The youth in new India must be solution-makers.
It is often said that it takes a whole village to raise a child and therefore along with educators, each and every one of us must work to build a conducive environment for our youngsters to flourish in.
My dear sisters and brothers,
Though we speak of the need to educate and skill youngsters to make them employable, I strongly believe that education is not just for employment but also empowerment and enlightenment.
Swami Vivekananda once said that “education is the manifestation of perfection already in man”.
Education is meaningful only if it is able to bring out the best in every person and make them more compassionate human beings.
The need of the hour is to impart value based education.
The stress should be on inculcating values such as patience, honesty, respect, tolerance and empathy.
The youngsters need not only to be taught how to develop their skills, talents, and abilities, they must also be taught how to use these skills, talents and abilities for the welfare and betterment of the world.
They must be taught to love nature and live in harmony with all living beings. We must nurture in them a zeal to protect and conserve the environment right from a young age.
Children must also be sensitized to our rich cultural heritage and must be encouraged to pick up as many languages and practice as many art forms as they can.
Through education, we must raise a generation of young people who will not only make India a powerful economy but will also secure a position for it among the most inclusive, innovative and harmonious societies of the world.
My dear sisters and brothers,
Our nation as a Republic completed 70 years of successful journey on the path of Constitutionalism yesterday.
I compliment the people of our country, the political parties, the legislatures and the legislators and all other stakeholders including the media for this accomplishment.
Not many westerners gave any hope and chance for the India of 1947 to survive and last as a democracy.
While women and some other sections were discriminated in leading democracies of the world regarding voting, we adopted adult suffrage in one stroke giving voting rights to all with the adoption of our Constitution in 1950. And since then, voter participation has been steadily improving with last year’s general elections recording a high voter turn out of about 67%.
Since the first general elections in 1952, our Parliament and State Legislatures have enacted path breaking legislations aimed at socio-economic and political reforms.
Whenever, basic and fundamental rights of citizens came under threat, citizens rose in unison and defended them as was seen against emergency.
Our polity and democracy do provide enough space for expressing differences and dissent whenever warranted.
As a result, we have emerged as the most vibrant democracy in the world.
Recently, some efforts are being made outside India to comment on some laws made by the Parliament and to raise some issues based on inadequate knowledge and insufficient understanding of the issues sought to be addressed by our law makers.
Such efforts are totally uncalled for and unwarranted.
As a mature Republic and democratic polity, we are capable of addressing the concerns, if any of our citizens and we need no advice or guidance in such matters from others.
As a Republic of 70 years experience, we have successfully withstood various challenges and overcame several challenges. We are now more united than ever before and no one should have any concerns in this regard.
We as a nation are committed to the cardinal principle of ensuring Justice, Liberty and Equality for all of our citizens.
While we are capable of addressing our internal matters as evidenced over the last 70 years, let others do so in their respective domains.
My dear sisters and brothers,
Before I conclude, let me re-iterate that the work done by trail-blazers such as Shri T.R Gupta will serve as an inspiration for generations of educators to come.
I once again congratulate everyone who worked behind the creation of this book. I hope that the book will help the readers unravel the enigma that is Shri T.R Gupta!
Thank You!
Jai Hind!
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