The Vice-President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar today called upon everyone to resolve today to make at least one person literate. “ When we make someone literate, we liberate him or her, we help that person discover himself or herself, we make him or her feel dignity, we cut down dependence, we generate independence and interdependence. It enables a person to help himself or herself.It is a supreme facet of handholding”, he added

Addressing the International Literacy Day celebrations as Chief Guest at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi today the Vice-President underlined, “The joy and happiness you provide by educating a person, whether a man, a woman, a child, or a girl, is beyond measure. You can't imagine the happiness it will bring you. It will spread in a positive manner. It will be the greatest affirmative action you can take in Human Resource Development”.

In his address, he called upon everyone to promote literacy, he remarked “time for us to be in mission mode with commitment and passion to ensure 100% literacy at the earliest but I am sure this is achievable sooner than we think. Let each one make one literate, this will be a spinal contribution for Viksit Bharat”.

He further asserted that “Education is something that no thief can take away from you. No government can snatch it from you. Neither relatives, nor friends can take it away from you. There can be no reduction in it. It will grow and continue to grow as long as you keep sharing it”. He also expressed confidence that if literacy is pursued passionately, India can reclaim its ancient status as a centre of learning, like Nalanda and Takshashila.

Appealing to the states that are yet to adopt the Education Policy (NEP) to rethink, revisit their stance, he emphasised that this policy is a game-changer for the nation. "This National Education Policy empowers our youth to fully exploit their talent and energy, giving due importance to all languages," he remarked.

Highlighting the special significance of mother tongue, Shri Dhankahr stated that it is the language in which we dream. Shri Dhankhar emphasised on India’s unparalleled linguistic diversity, Shri Dhankhar stated that, “There is no country in the world like India. We are a unique nation when it comes to the richness of language, with several languages”.

 Reflecting on his experiences As Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, he shared, “I afford members the opportunity to speak in 22 languages. When I hear them speak in their language, I listen to the translation, but their body language itself tells me what they are saying”

He also highlighted the profound significance of Rishi Tradition in Indian culture, and urged everyone to “take resolve to make at least one person literate within six months, so that by the end of the year, we can achieve the goal of educating two individuals.”

Lauding India's transformative progress over the last decade, Shri Dhankhar emphasised how achievements like electrifying every household, once unimaginable, are now a reality, with future goals focused on self-sufficiency through solar power. He reflected on rural development, highlighting the significant strides like toilets in every household and the impact of widespread digital connectivity. He noted how 4G access in remote villages has revolutionised service delivery, making everyday tasks easier, and eliminating the need for long queues for essential services”.

Cautioning against the people who taint, tarnish and demean our institutions, Shri Dhankhar urged to show path to those misguided souls who are not able to acknowledge the impressive growth of Bharat and are not recognising the ground reality.

Shri Jayant Chaudhary, Hon’ble Minister of State for Education, Shri Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy (DoSEL) and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

Read full text : https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2052924

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 JK/RC/SM