Anantapur: President Droupadi Murmu has stressed the need for a dignified role for women in the society and upholding of the nation’s spiritual tradition.
“There is a need for more help and support to girl students (from poor backgrounds,)” the president said.
Sharing her personal experience of teaching at the Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Center at Rairangpur in Odisha, the President said, “Teaching life’s values is the real education. A strong foundation is necessary for the construction of a building. Similarly, the foundation of morality and life values is also important in the construction of one’s life. The main goal of Integral Education is to transmit the life values of truth, good conduct, peace, affection and non-violence into the life of every student.”
President Droupadi Murmu was chief guest for the 42nd annual convocation of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning held at the Sai Hira Convention Hall in Puttaparthi on Wednesday.
The President arrived from Odissa to the Sathya Sai airport by a special aircraft around 2.30pm. She proceeded to the Sai Kulwanth Hall for darshan at the Maha Samadhi of Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
Addressing the students, the President appreciated the high ideals and values the Institute was founded on. Highlighting the motto of the Institute, ‘Sathyam Vad, Dharma Char’ (Speak the Truth and Walk on the Path of Righteousness), the President spoke on the importance of Truth and Righteousness in Indian Culture and practising and upholding them in our daily lives.
Quoting the scriptures, she said knowledge is that which provides liberation and instills humility in students. This Institute, in the true sense, is a Modern Gurukula imparting human and spiritual values to students along with regular education, she noted.
“I am very impressed by your institution's overall vision towards education. Instead of education, you have used a completely new concept like Edu-care. This is very useful and meaningful”, she stated.
Governor S. Abdul Nazeer said in his address, “The Institute is a beacon of light for value-based Integral education in this country”. He believed the values imbibed here are making a positive impact on society and that the students have a greater responsibility to live the message of true education as they step out into the world.”
He stated, "The culture of Bharat is based on eternal truth, which is unaffected by time and place, unshaken by circumstances, unchanged by historical changes, and untouched by natural calamities.”
The governor exhorted students to imbibe qualities of courage and valour and emulate those who have striven for promotion of Indian Culture.
On the occasion, President Droupadi Murmu conferred the 21 Gold Medals on the qualifying students, who achieved distinction in various disciplines.
