The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the celebration of Centennial Foundation Day of University of Lucknow today via video conferencing. The Prime Minister unveiled the University’s Centennial Commemorative Coin on the occasion. He also released a special Commemorative Postal Stamp issued by India Post and its Special Cover during the event. The Union Defence Minister and Member of Parliament from Lucknow, Shri Rajnath Singh and Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath were present on the occasion.The Prime Minister exhorted the University to offer courses on the local arts and products and called for research to do value addition to these local products. Management, branding and strategy to make the products like Lucknow ‘Chikankari’, brass wares of Moradabad, locks of Aligarh, Bhadohi Carpets globally competitive should be the part of courses offered at the university. This will help in realizing the concept of one district one product. The Prime minister also called for continued engagement with subjects of arts, culture and spirituality to provide them a global reach.Referring to the need to realize one’s potential, The Prime Minister gave the example of Rai Bareli rail coach factory.
He said that for a long time, investment in the factory was not utilized beyond minor products and fitting some attachments in the coaches made at Kapurthala. The factory was capable of making coaches but never worked to its full potential. This under-utilization changed in 2014 and full capabilities of the factory were realized and today hundreds of coaches are being produced by the factory. Shri Modi said that will-power and intention are equally important as capabilities. Referring to many other examples, Prime Minister Modi said “ positivity in thinking and possibilities in approach should always be kept alive.”Shri Narendra Modi also narrated his experience of popularizing Khadi with the help of students in Gujarat through a fashion show at Porbandar on Gandhi Jayanti. This made Khadi 'fashionable’. Amount of Khadi sold in the last six years is more than what was sold in 20 years before that, the Prime Minister informed.Mentioning the distractions of modern life and attention sapping gadgets, the Prime Minister said that the habit of contemplation and self realization is depleting among the youth. He asked the youth to find time for themselves amidst all the distractions. This will help in improving their will power, he added.The Prime Minister said that the National Education Policy is a tool for students to test themselves. The effort in the new policy is to provide self confidence and flexibility to the students. He called upon the students to break the orthodoxies and think beyond the mould and not fear the change. He asked the students to discuss the new policy and help in its implementation.