PUNE: The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu called upon the youth to take a vow to put an end to social evils such as discrimination based on gender, caste, and disrespect to women by leading the nation towards equality.
Expressing concern over the erosion of values in the society, especially in the context of the recent atrocities against women, the Vice President opined that mere a Bill or an Act was not sufficient to act as a deterrent to crimes against women. He stressed the need for a change of Mindset in people to arrest such tendencies and incidents.
Delivering the 16th Convocation address of the Symbiosis International (Deemed University) in Pune today, Shri Naidu urged educational institutions, teachers, and parents to teach children about Indian culture that propounds values such as respecting women, guru, elders.
Naidu also called for a cultural renaissance in the country to revive and restore India's age-old ethos, morals, and values. He said that it was the time that 'we go back to our roots.'
Describing women's empowerment as a force-multiplier in transforming families, economy and the society at large and that welfare of the nation was not possible unless the condition of women were empowered, the Vice President asked universities and higher educational institutions to pay special attention to women's empowerment.
Naidu wanted educational institutions that were emerging as a major hub for incubation, entrepreneurial-learning, and development in the times to come to accord priority to the empowerment of women.
Calling for sustainable solutions for the common man's everyday challenges, the Vice President wanted students to come up with bold and out of the box ideas to find solutions. He asked them to use advancements in science, technology, and innovation to fructify and improve the quality of human lives.
