New Delhi: The Vice President of India, Shri M, Venkaiah Naiud has said that language is a living tool – you must use it or you lose it. If we lose a language we lose an important part of cultural identity, he added. He was addressing the 9th Convocation of Dr. D.Y. Patil Vidyapeeth, in Pune, Maharshtra on March 29, 2018. The Guardian Minister for Pune, Maharashtra, Shri Girish Bapat and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
The Vice President quoting Mahatma Gandhi, said “We, the English educated Indians, often un consciously make assumption that the microscopic minority of English speaking Indians are the whole of India.” All the states should consider using local languages extensively in the day to day work and it could also make it an integral part of school curriculum and an essential qualification for employment at appropriate levels in administration, he added.
Highlighting the importance of language learning in our education system, Vice President said that it is a reflection of our ideas and values, out thoughts and emotions. Language is a tool for transmission of culture and it is truly the life blood of a civilization, he added.
The Vice President said that Mother tongue, the language of home, is the root of the huge tree of life. He further said that we must all learn our mother tongue well and one must ensure that this foundation is strengthened. We must constantly nourish it by speaking, writing and producing literature in the language and use it in schools, colleges and universities, he added.
The Vice President said that innovation is the key to success in today’s world and don’t ape your predecessors or peers blindly. Think creatively to find solutions to the problems faced by the society, he added.
The Vice President said that Higher education has a unique role in preparing torchbearers of tomorrow in different fields from medicine to management. It is essential for higher educational institutions to mould the next generation by inculcating the core values of patriotism, honesty, responsibility, discipline, compassion, respect for women and pluralism, he added.
Following is the text of Vice President’s address:
“I am delighted to be here at the 9th Convocation of Dr. D. Y. PatilVidyapeeth, Pune, which was granted the deemed university status by the Ministry of HRD in 2003. I am also happy to note the commendable journey made by your Vidyapeeth in a short span of time.
Convocation is an important and memorable milestone in the lives of the students, who are passing out today. At the same time, it also re-affirms the invaluable role played by the institution and its teachers in imparting knowledge and shaping the outlook and personality of every student. Convocation also symbolizes the importance of continuity and the duty of each generation in transmitting knowledge, wisdom and cultural values to the next ones.
I am told Vidyapeeth offers graduate, post graduate, super-specialty and also Doctoral programs in various disciplines of health care. As many as 1056 students are getting their degrees in this convocation. I am glad to know that 19 students are getting gold medals and 12 others are being awarded Ph.D degrees. I extend my heartiest congratulations to outgoing students for their achievements and my sincere appreciation to parents for nurturing the talents of their children.
Recognizing contribution made by eminent personalities in various fields is part of Indian culture and I am happy that Vidyapeeth is honouring three such personalities by conferring on them the degree of Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) and Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa). The contribution of these great personalities needs special mention and appreciation. I congratulate Dr. AchyutaSamanta for the Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) conferred on him for his contribution in the field of education and social transformation of tribal children in the country. I congratulate Dr. PratapsinhJadhav for the Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) conferred on him for his contribution as a social reformer and progressive agriculturist.
I also congratulate Vishnu R. Parnekar for the Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) conferred on him for his contribution in establishing social, economical and spiritual organizations and spreading the life management philosophy called Poornawad.
I am glad to know that Vidyapeeth with its motto to uplift the society is focusing on imparting education in various disciplines such as Allopathy, Homeopathy, and Ayurveda besides Dentistry, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Optometry, Visual Sciences, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics and Management.
Dear Sisters and Brothers, higher education has a unique role in preparing torchbearers of tomorrow in different fields from medicine to management. Irrespective of whether the students choose to become teachers, administrators, businessmen or social scientists, it is essential for higher educational institutions to mould the next generation by inculcating the core values of patriotism, honesty, responsibility, discipline, compassion, respect for women and pluralism.
I am sure, the teaching and research projects taken up by Dr. D. Y. PatilVidyapeeth are fully in tune with the requirements of the 21st century knowledge society. Today, the digital revolution is sweeping the world and technology is completely changing every facet our life. We not only have to keep pace with various advancements, but we also need to visualize future requirements and reorient our curricula accordingly.
Dear students, please remember that there is nothing like a full stop to learning. It is a continuous process and graduation is just a chapter in the book of your life’s journey. Keep adding more chapters as you continue in this voyage of knowledge, self-discovery and self-realisation.
Do not be content with what you have achieved in terms of knowledge and skills or securing employment. Education does not end with earning a degree, it is the sum total of knowledge, skills, attitude and behaviour and aims at holistic development of a person. The world of learning and acquiring knowledge has no boundaries. An essential feature of medical profession is to keep updated constantly through training programmes.
I understand that many students after graduating from the Vidyapeeth might prefer to pursue further studies in Institutes of Higher Education, either in India or abroad. There is nothing wrong in furthering your career prospects. But my advice to anybody who ventures to go abroad is to return and serve the motherland. Go, learn, earn and return must be the credo. Never neglect or forget your mother tongue, place of birth and the motherland. Also never succumb to pressures or temptations that will make you tread on the wrong paths. Strong character, discipline, hard work, unwavering commitment and passion to the goals set by you must always be your guiding principles. Every person will have some strengths and weaknesses. One must always try to overcome the weaknesses no matter how difficult the path is to attain success.
Innovation is the key to success in today’s world. Don’t ape your predecessors or peers blindly. Think creatively to find solutions to the problems faced by the society. It is also important for you to dream big to make a mark and achieve success.Albert Einstein had once said: “I’m enough of an artist to draw freely on my imagination, which I think is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
Dear sisters and brothers, this institution is called a “Vidyapith”. This word that is commonly used by many to refer to a University has a lot of meaningful suggestive connotation that goes to the root of Indian conception of education. We should try and understand how the ancient Indian thinkers have encapsulated a lot of concepts in simple terminology.
“Vidya” denotes “to discover and know what it is”. “Peeth” means a “centre” or a “pedestal”. So, a Vidyapeeth is a centre where the discovery of new facts and unravelling of new knowledge goes on. Because it is a “peeth”, it is a sustainable foundation for further learning. In the Indian world view, we are all lifelong learners. Please note that the Vidya emphasizes the spirit of “discovery”, and “innovation” so crucial for our present and future growth as a learning society.
Many successful individuals in the world have followed this approach and became famous. This is not an easy path. There will be obstacles and failures, what matters is your ability to stay focused, trying to discover new realities and to pursue you dreams undeterred by failures and obstacles.
I would like to highlight the critical importance of language learning in our education system. Language is a tool for transmission of culture. It is a reflection of our ideas and values, out thoughts and emotions. It is truly the life blood of a civilization.
We live in a globalized, multi- lingual world where language is not only a means of communication but it is a window to the treasure house of literature, music and fine arts. It is the invisible thread of our cultural fabric of all these languages. Our Mother tongue, the language of home, is the root of the huge tree of life. We must ensure that this foundation is strengthened. We must all learn our mother tongue well. We must constantly nourish it by speaking , writing and producing literature in the language and use it in schools, colleges and universities.
We in India have a rich heritage of literature in so many Indian languages. We must preserve this and enrich it further. We must remember that language is a living tool . You must use it or you lose it. If we lose a language we lose an important part of cultural identity.
Mahatma Gandhi Ji had once said:
“We, the English educated Indians, often un consciously make assumption that the microscopic minority of English speaking Indians are the whole of India.”
For him, governing the people and running day to day administration has to be in Indian languages, the languages spoken and understood by the people. In fact democracy and Surajya can be strengthened only if institutions of governance like courts and offices use local languages.
I would like to underscore that all the states should consider using local languages extensively in the day to day work. It could also make it an integral part of school curriculum and an essential qualification for employment at appropriate levels in administration.
I am keen that each Indian should be proficient in her or his mother tongue. At the same time, we should learn as many other languages as we can and need. We should broaden our horizons , strengthen our bonds with our heritage through classical languages like Sanskrit and acquire knowledge in other world languages. But our feet must be firmly on the ground, our proficiency must be strong in our native mother tongue. Mother tongue is veritably our eyes. Rest of the languages are useful add-ons like eye glasses.
Finally, I call upon all of you to imbibe the core values of our culture, traditions, heritage and history. We have the tradition of respecting and living with nature. Respect nature and promote culture for a better future.
Be proud of your parents, teachers and the institutions which shaped your personalities and careers. Always remember that whatever you do and wherever you are – you shall always be an Indian and an alumnus of the Dr. D. Y. PatilVidyapeeth, Pune.
Dear parents, you must be feeling proud of your children today. They have acquired the wings to fly and sky is the limit for them. My best wishes to all of you for wonderful and rewarding careers ahead!
