Addressing the gathering of students and teachers during the 34th Convocation of Banasthali Vidyapith in Rajasthan, the vice president urged the student community to understand the heritage and culture of the great Indian civilisation and what it stood for.
“You and I have inherited this intellectual and philosophical tradition. We must nourish the beautiful tree continuously with devotion and dedication. Diffidence and despair should be dispelled,” he said.
The vice president lauded the Panchmukhi Shiksha model of Banasthali Vidyapith and said that the institution has adopted an innovative way to impart holistic education that enables every student to recognize her innate potential, and help in integrating the knowledge gained with its cultural and environmental context.
Highlighting a major challenge that one third of women in the country cannot read or write, Naidu said that women’s empowerment is a key factor in determining the country’s growth and development.
“I believe that education is the best way to empower women,” the vice president said, adding, “We still have formidable challenges in our country. One third of our women cannot read and write. Women enrollment in higher educational institutions is far less than men. These gender gaps need to be bridged.”
“Human resources have to be enriched. We have to work diligently to provide diversified educational opportunities to enhance employability,” he added.