The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has called for empowering women through education and by implementing progressive measures like reservations in Parliament and State Legislatures.Expressing his concern over instances of gender discrimination, Shri Naidu called for curbing it by bringing about attitudinal and behavioral changes in society.Interacting with girl students from Carmel Convent School, Chanakyapuri, at his residence here today, the Vice President said that educating a girl was equivalent to educating an entire family, while educating a man was tantamount to educating an individual.Shri Naidu stressed that education was not only for employment but for empowerment and enlightenment. The scheme, ‘Beti Padao, Beti Bachao’ was aimed at empowering the girl child, he added.Shri Naidu said education must develop ideal and responsible citizens, who are socially conscientious with a national outlook. It was essential for youngsters to know about India’s cultural heritage, traditions, history, the role of national icons and freedom fighters as also the contributions of social reformers.
The Vice President said that garlanding the portrait of Bharat Mata alone was not nationalism. Placing the interests of the nation above everything else and taking care of fellow humans was nationalism, he added.Shri Naidu also underscored the importance of probity in public life and observed that people should elect their representatives on the basis of 4 Cs—Character, Conduct, Capacity and Calibre and cautioned against the attempts to give importance to other 4 Cs—Cash, Caste, Community and Criminality.The Vice President said that the Indian economy was doing well and the country was being respected and recognized the world over. Many foreign companies were keen to invest in India.Referring to the call given by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi to ‘Reform, Perform and Transform, he advised the young students to be part of the transformation to build a New India.