The Vice President, Shri JagdeepDhankhar today asserted that India does not need any sermons from anyone on this planet on the point of equality as we have always believed in it. Asking the countries to look within, he highlighted that “some countries are yet to have a women president, while we had a women Prime Minister before even UK had. Supreme Court in other countries completed 200 years without a woman judge, but we have.”

Cautioning against the false narrative and misinformation being set afloat about the Citizenship Amendment Act, Shri Dhanhkar underlined that CAA neither seeks to deprive any Indian citizen of his or her citizenship, nor it excludes anyone from applying for Indian citizenship as before. Mentioning that CAA facilitates acquisition of Indian citizenship for minorities in the neighboring countries, VP asked “How can this reprieve, healing touch to those persecuted in our neighbourhood on account of their religious commitment be discriminatory?”

Noting that CAA applies to those who arrived in India on or before 31 December 2014, he emphasized that it is not an invitation to influx. “We have to neutralize these narratives. These emanate not out of ignorance, but out of a strategy to run down our nation,” he cautioned.

Addressing the 2023 Batch IAS Officer Trainees at the conclusion of Phase-I of their Professional Course at Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie today, he called upon the young minds to rebuff such “strategized orchestration of factually untenable anti national narratives aimed at tainting and tarnishing our glorified and robust constitutional bodies.”

Stating that governance has taken a turn for the better in recent years, the Vice-President said that privileged pedigree is now sulking in the bye lanes. “Democratic values and essence is deepening as equality before law is being enforced in exemplary manner and corruption is no longer a trading commodity. Earlier this was the only mechanism to passage to a contract, recruitment, opportunity,” he added.

Stating that some privileged pedigree earlier thought that they were immune to legal process and law cannot reach them, VP questioned, “how can someone in a democratic country like ours be more equal than others?” This Equality before law that had eluded us for long and corruption that was running into the veins of administration like blood are now matters of past, he told the young officers while recognizing the contributions of the civil servants to this revolution.

Praising that our power corridors have been sanitized of corrupt elements who extra legally leveraged decision making, the Vice-President noted that the country has been pulled out of despondency.  India has become a land of hope and possibility. Stating that there is upbeat mood all over the nation, VP asserted that “India is no longer a nation with a potential or a sleeping giant. It is on the move.”

Highlighting that our global image has been on the rise, Shri Dhankhar said that hardly a week passes when our Navy has not performed to save the supply chains or to rescue victims of piracy. Every Indian would be proud of their accomplishment, he added.

The greatest challenge to our democratic polity is emanating from those who have long been part of dispensation, have held positions of authority, had the occasion to contribute to the development of the nation and once out of authority or power have poor appetite for growth trajectory of the nation. The need some rebuff from young mind

Cautioning that nothing can be more challenging to democracy than an informed mind knowing full well the subject makes a wrong statement to monetize ignorance of the people, VP called for exposing such people. “Some individuals who have held positions of authority, once out of authority or power have poor appetite for growth trajectory of the nation,” he added.

In his address, the Vice President told the IAS probationers people look up to them as role models. “You have to exemplify by actions that are worth emulating, inspiring and motivating young minds and eliciting admiration of the elders in any capacity, he added.

Describing our civilizational values as their guiding principle, VP asked the young officers to “work with SevaBhav and Samanubhuti - sense of service and empathy.”

Lt Gen. Gurmit Singh, Governor, Uttarakhand, Shri Sriram Taranikanti, Director, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

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