The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that education is the most powerful weapon which can be used to change the world. He was speaking at the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Maitreyi College, University off Delhi, here today.The Vice President said that schools and colleges play a transformational role in shaping young minds, molding the character and imparting the right value-based education. He further said that the future of the country is dependent on the strong foundations laid by literacy and education. Apart from making students imbibe strong ethical and moral values, education should help to broaden the vision, sharpen the intellect, inculcate analytical skills, improve creativity, think innovatively and develop an inclusive outlook, he added.The Vice President said that with women constituting almost half of the country’s population, their empowerment is critical for accelerating development of the country. As had often been said: ‘If you educate a man, you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate an entire family’, he added.
The Vice President said that even 70 years after Independence, the country is facing many problems like illiteracy, gender discrimination, corruption, casteism and urban-rural divide. The need of the hour is to provide quality education to overcome these challenges, he added.The Vice President opined that Indian women when given an opportunity have broken the glass ceiling in many fields and proved that they are no less than their male counterparts. The most recent example was that of Avani Chaturvedi, who became the first Indian woman to fly a fighter jet solo, making the entire nation applaud her feat, he added.The Vice President advised the students to not forget their parents, mother tongue, motherland, native place of birth and the Guru, who is instrumental in shaping your character and career. Remember Google can provide you information but cannot replace your Guru, who provides you with enlightenment, he added.