The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu today praised New Education Policy for bringing down the load of students by reducing the syllabus.

Delivering the first Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy Memorial Lecture through video conferencing, the Vice President stressed that students must be encouraged to place equal emphasis on physical activity and sports. He also called for making Yoga an integral part of school curriculum from an early age and said students should spend equal time in playgrounds and classrooms.

Calling Yoga an exercise of mind and body, the Vice President said Yoga has no religion. It is an art as well as science, he added.

Terming the recently launched New Education Policy as a visionary document, the Vice President said that it laid emphasis on holistic development of the students. He said NEP-2020 was learner-centric and aims at transforming India into a knowledge society. It rightfully balances the rootedness and pride in India as well as acceptance of the best ideas and practices in the world of learning from across the globe, he added.

Expressing happiness over the importance given to mother tongue in NEP-2020, Shri Naidu stressed the importance of preserving and promoting our rich Indian languages.“I have time and again said that there should be no imposition of any language and no opposition to any language”, he emphasized.

Opining that school education should focus on integral living where education is both theoretical and practical, the Vice President said that students must also be taught the spirit of national idealism, where the nation comes first and everything else is subordinate to national interests.

The Vice President also said that in a country of 130 crore people, government alone cannot do everything and stressed the need to involve the private sector to supplement the efforts. He said the private sector and the voluntary organizations must be guided by missionary zeal and idealism. 

Highlighting the need to raise the standards of education and increasing the professional competence of teachers, Shri Naidu said that teachers must be friendly mentors and act as role models in their behaviour and attitude.

Calling for increasing the understanding and appreciation of Indian art and cultural heritage in schools, he said that students must know the uniqueness and historical background of every Indian state as also how Bharat Mata is a supreme embodiment of nationalistic imagery.

Citing a poem of the eminent poet, Subramania Bharati, Shri Naidu underscored the importance of unity in diversity which has been the foundational spirit of our great country, Bharat.

Expressing concern over the disruption caused by Covid pandemic in normal academic schedule, the Vice President said that virtual classes were temporary arrangement and they cannot replace a teacher. No virtual mechanism can give the flavour of real time classroom learning, he added.

Observing that India was on the move, the Vice President said the setback caused by COVID-19 pandemic was temporary and exuded confidence that the momentum would be back. Quoting Prime Minister’s three word mantra- ‘Reform-Perform-Transform’, he appealed to everyone to perform one’s duty towards transforming the nation.

Noting that many Indians are holding important positions all over the world, Shri Naidu said youngsters have a world of opportunities ahead of them. He stressed the need to impart right kind of skills from an early age in this regard.

Talking about the recently held Bhoomi Pujan for the rebuilding of Lord Rama’s temple in Ayodhya, Shri Naidu said Ramyana teaches us a way life. 

We need Ramyana not to just worship Rama but to worship the qualities he embodied and imbibe them in our life, VP said.

Describing Dr Mrs Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy, popularly known as Mrs YGP, as a multifaceted personality, the Vice President praised her dedication and commitment in building an institution like Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Group of Schools.

“It is in the work of people like Mrs. Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy lies the future of India which once was the Vishwa Guru and is striving to regain its lost glory in many spheres, including education”, he said.

The Vice President expressed happiness that the Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Group of Schools was founded to revive and promote the spirit of Indian-ness and emphasised that students must be made aware of their civilizational inheritance and they must learn to combine the best of Indian and global practices.

Smt. Sheela Rajendra, dean and Director, Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Group of Schools, Shri P B Balaji, Parents-Teacher Association President and others were present on the occasion.

Following is the full text of speech –

“The Chairperson of the Bala Bhavan Educational Trust, Dean and Director of the Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Group of Schools Smt. Sheela Rajendra, Trustees, Principals, teachers, dear students, invitees participants and family members of Dr. (Mrs.) YGP, I wish you all a safe and healthy living.

My salutations and reverential homage to the late Dr Mrs Rajalakshmi Parthasarathy on her first Punya Tithi! Popularly known as Mrs YGP, she was a multifaceted personality – she was an educationist, distinguished journalist, art critic, teacher and scholar of Vaishnavism all combined into one.

I can imagine the amount of dedication and commitment with which Mrs.YGP built an institution like Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Group of Schools. It is in the work of people like Mrs.YGP lies the future of India which once was the Vishwa Guru and now again is striving to regain its lost glory in many spheres, including education.

I felt very happy to know that the Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Group of Schools imparts value-based education and was founded to revive and promote the spirit of Indian-ness-- a spirit that celebrates national identity, cultural heritage and social diversity.

Our ancient values teach us ‘share and care’ and ‘Vasudhaiva-kutumbakam’. Hitopadesha says-

विद्या ददाति विनयं विनयाद्याति पात्रताम् ।

पात्रत्वाद्धनमाप्नोति धनाद्धर्मं ततः सुखम् ॥ ५ ॥

Dotted with institutes of repute such as Nalanda, Takshashila, Vikramshila and Pushpagiri, ancient India was a storehouse of knowledge and wisdom. Our students must be aware of their civilizational inheritance and learn to combine the best of Indian and global practices.

I am happy to know that Mrs. YGP’s used to ask her school students to greet teachers by saying ‘Shri Gurubhyo Namah’ instead of the normal salutation. This showed her deepest commitment to our centuries-old Guru Sishya parampara, which is unmatched by any other system in this world.

In transmitting the best of Indian ethos, I am told that she taught students the Puranic lore of the Ramayana and Mahabharata with stories that captured the time-honoured traditions of reverence, sacrifice, nationalism and simplicity.

At the same time, I believe that she used to highlight the contemporary relevance of India’s age old Dharmic traditions in the modern world.

Dear sisters and brothers,

As you all are aware, the New Education Policy was launched a few days ago. It is a visionary document that lays emphasis on holistic development of the students. It also focuses on adopting an interdisciplinary approach towards imparting knowledge and skill sets and in shaping the attitude of students.

It is a learner-centric and aims at transforming India into a knowledge society. It rightfully balances the rootedness and pride in India as well as acceptance of the best ideas and practices in the world of learning from across the globe.

I am happy that new Policy gives importance to mother tongue in schools. This is very important to preserve and promote our rich Indian languages. I have time and again said that there should be no imposition and no opposition to any language.

School Education, aptly referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the ‘Beautiful Tree’, should focus on integral living where education is both theoretical and practical. School students must also be taught the spirit of national idealism, where the nation comes first and everything else is subordinate to national interests.

There is a need for raising the standards of education and increasing the professional competence of teachers. Teachers must be friendly mentors and act as role models in their behavior and attitude.

Education is not merely to get employment and the purpose of education is to enlighten and empower an individual. Education must build character, caliber and capacity besides promoting good conduct. While enhancing access to higher education, there is a need to considerably improve the quality of courses and teaching processes.

I am happy that the New Education Policy also seeks to reduce syllabus. There is a need to bring down load on the students. Students should be made to spend equal time in playgrounds and classrooms. Schools and Colleges must include outdoor activities like gardening in their syllabus.

Students must also be encouraged to place equal emphasis on physical activity and sports. Yoga should also form part of school curriculum from an early age. There should be understanding and appreciation of Indian art and cultural heritage.

I am happy that the New Education Policy has touched on these critical issues in school education and I am very confident that the future of India is going to be shaped by   holistic approach right from early school days.

Schooling should not be uni-dimensional and one sided. There should be cooperation and coordination between teachers and students. Students must be taught that Nature is our first teacher and culture is a vehicle of refined expression. Students must know the uniqueness and historical background of every Indian state as also how Bharat Mata is a supreme embodiment of nationalistic imagery.

I would like to quote the great poet Subramania Bharati who in “Enn Thai” stresses on the united spirit of Bharat Mata: “Muppathu Kodi Mugamudayal Uyir, Moimpura Onrudayal Ival Seppu Mozhi Padhinettu Udayal, Enir, Sindhanai Onrudayal”

This is a beautiful poem that brings out the essential unity in diversity which has been the foundational spirit of our great country, Bharat.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted us in various ways. Normal academic schedule has been disrupted and many schools have taken to virtual education. This is, however, a temporary arrangement as nobody can replace a true teacher and no virtual mechanism and can give the flavour of real time classroom learning.

Teachers are the pivots of Indian society. In the highest human traditions, teachers are personifications of divinity. To match these ideals, teachers must realise the primacy of their role and perform it with a sense of national commitment.

I would like to conclude by quoting Saint-Poet Thiruvalluvar who brilliantly summarised the purpose of education in his Thirukkural couplet when he said:

Karka Kasadara Karpavai

Katrapin Nirka Adharku Thaga

Let a man learn thoroughly whatever he may learn, and let his conduct be worthy of his learning.

I am sure students passing out of Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Group will strive to laurels to this institution and be worthy members of the society through their actions and deeds.

Through her vision for a greater cause Mrs Y.G.P had enriched the national life.

Thank you and Jai Hind!”

*****

VRRK/MS/MSY/DP