Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar emphasised that Viksit Bharat is not merely a dream but a certain destination, powered by a robust knowledge economy. Interacting with the students, faculty, and staff members of Pondicherry University, he highlighted the critical role of youth and students as key stakeholders in driving the country towards Viksit Bharat.
Underlining the importance of education, the Vice President said that education is a great equaliser that decimates inequities. He cautioned, however, against the commodification and commercialisation of education, urging a return to values rooted in India’s traditional gurukul system. The Vice President also appealed to corporates, business and industry to invest in India’s educational sector and pool their CSR resources to create institutes of global eminence as green field projects. He added that our goal and mission should be to create institutions of excellence rivalling the best globally.
Mr Dhankhar, who draws attention to the emerging startup ecosystem in India, said that the country takes pride in being a global leader in unicorns. He added that enormous vistas and opportunities are emerging every day for our youngsters from the blue economy to the space economy and from innovation to research. The Vice President complimented that affirmative governance by the government and handholding policies are allowing youth to start their ventures and startups. He urged students to step out of silos which restricts vision and make use of such opportunities.
The Vice President hailed the National Education Policy as the best in the world, lauding its flexibility that allows students to explore multiple courses and fully exploit their talent, potential and time. He appealed to States who are yet to adopt NEP to follow it. Mr Dhankar also urged universities to hold workshops to help students fully understand and utilise the policy’s offerings.
As the world witnesses rapid technological advancement in AI, IoT, machine learning, and blockchain, Mr. Dhankhar affirmed that India is keeping pace through initiatives like quantum computing and the green hydrogen mission. He called India the most aspirational nation in the world, a testament to the transformative progress of the past decade. The Vice President concluded by highlighting five guiding principles rooted in India’s civilizational ethos: social harmony, family enlightenment, environmental consciousness, self-reliance, and civic responsibility.
Lt. Governor K. Kailashnathan, Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, Legislative Assembly Speaker R. Selvam, Puducherry Home Minister A. Namassivayam, Members of Parliament S. Selvaganabathy and V. Vaithilingam, MLA P. M. L. Kalyanasundaram, Puducherry Chief Secretary Dr. Sharat Chauhan and Pondicherry University Vice Chancellor Prof. P. Prakash Babu were also present.
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