Need to come out of colonial mindset and Indianize our education: Vice President

New Delhi, Oct 29: Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu said that in order to restore India’s glory as of the ‘Vishwaguru’, it has to come out of the ‘colonial mindset’ and ‘Indianise’ education. He was addressing a gathering in the auditorium of the Sant Shirobanath Ambiye Government College of Arts and Commerce in North Goa.

 

Naidu inaugurated the new building complex of the college, located in the Virnoda village of Pernem, Goa’s northernmost taluka. Expressing the need to teach younger generation about India’s glorious past and rich cultural heritage, the Vice President stressed "the need to come out of colonial mindset and Indianize our education system". He said, "We should learn and accept good things from anywhere in the world, but at the same time, must remain firmly rooted in Indian civilizational values."

 

 

Recalling that ancient India was home to several renowned institutions of advanced learning such as Nalanda, Vikramshila and Takshashila, Naidu said that we have to regain the past glory and make India a leading nation in the field of education, research and innovation. "In between because of the colonial rule, colonial mindset, we were suppressed and became depressed. It is now again time to see that we excel in every field..", he added.

 

 

Naidu also called for the preservation and protection of the both. He also emphasised the need to promote the mother tongue in the school level education. He said, "The he language that has come from the mother’s womb, should be spoken. I am not against learning other languages. But first you must promote, protect and feel proud of your own mother tongue."

 

Highlighting the importance of higher education, the Vice President said that it prepares students for more meaningful and productive roles and plays an important role in improving the standards of living. Quality higher education is invariably a hallmark of all developed economies, he further added.

 

 

Observing that nature must be not be neglected in the quest for development, Shri Naidu said a butterfly and a garden are as important as the latest IT tools. “That is why I always advocate the need for students to spend half of their time in the classroom and the remaining half in the playground or in the lap of nature,” he said and advised youth to avoid sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy dietary habits and consumption of harmful substances. It is important to remain physically fit by undertaking regular exercises or yoga, the Vice President told them.