In a unique event on occasion of Guru Purnima Divas, Union HRD Minister Sh. Prakash Javadekar honored the MPs who hail from academic background. The function was organized in Parliament house today. As a mark of respect, the Minister presented a ‘Tulsi’ sapling and a CD containing Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi to everyone. Presenting the gift first to Dr. Karan Singh, the senior most among the MPs present, the Minister saluted the teacher community who works for the transformation of the nation. “Education prospers only in those places, where teachers are respected”, he said. He said, with the Parliament having about 50 members from the academic background, it is indeed an institution of immense quality, contrary to the general perception.
In the address, he mentioned that ‘Guru Pranaam’- respecting his teachers at Pune- was among the first function he attended after assuming the charge. The Minister also focused on the necessity of affordable quality education for all and expressed his faith that accountability of teachers could do real miracles in education. In this regard, he recounted the success he had in the school in his adopted village in Bundelkhand which could reap a pass percentage of 82% from 28% in 7 months. He also pointed out that, in the recent Inter State Council, all the CMs keenly interacted on the issue of quality education. In his address, Dr. Karan Singh thanked the Minister for an initiative like this, honoring the teachers and said it is in the continuity of India’s tradition of giving utmost importance to Guru. Guru is the repository of knowledge which will dispel the darkness of ignorance, he added.
Prof. P.J Kurien, the hon’ble Vice Chairperson of Rajya Sabha, Sh. Upendra Kushwaha MoS (HRD), Dr. M.N Pandey MoS (HRD), Dr. Jitendra Singh MoS (DoNER), Rajiv Pratap Rudy MoS (SD&E), Prof. Ram Shankar Katheria, Prof. Saugata Roy, Dr. Satyanarayan Jatiya, Shri Janardan Dwivedi, Prof. Ram Gopal Yadav, Prof.K.V.Thomas, Dr. Subramanian Swamy, Dr. C.P Thakur, Prof. M.V Rajeev Gowda, Sh. Prem Singh Chandumajra were among the Parliamentarians who graced the occasion.