While delivering the 5th Dr. Rajaram Jaipuria Memorial Lecture in New Delhi on August 3, former President Ram Nath Kovind, spoke about how Swami Vivekananda’s Chicago speech changed the world perception of India as a country with a difference. He said India in the past has achieved the distinction of being a world soft power and had its share of glories in various fields. And, we have begun to leave our mark on the world stage once again with some of our recent successes.
Delivering the lecture in Hindi, Ram Nath Kovind spoke elaborately about India’s glorious past, touching upon the rich spiritual and scientific heritage of India. He also outlined the huge potential of India as the biggest democracy of the world and the fastest growing major economy. Kovind said that spirituality or self-awareness, vishshwa Bandhu (friend of the world) and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, are hallmarks of our continuing civilization, which are very relevant in the current scenario to lead the world. “India has given the world the concepts of zero and decimal. Many great Indian thinkers of antiquity have left an indelible mark in sciences, mathematics and spirituality across the world. If we look at our nation today, our space programme is among the best. We have reached the south pole of the moon, sent an orbiter around mars and are studying the sun through the mission Aditya L1. We have a thriving digital economy. Today our country is going through the beginning of Amrit Kaal. We all have to contribute collectively towards nation-building to make India a Vishwa Guru once again,” Ram Nath Kovind said.
The lecture, an annual event organized by Seth Anandram Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions, since 2019 and 5th in the series was on the theme of ‘‘The Rise of India As Vishwa Guru– Naya Yug, Nayi Uchainyaan’’.
The lecture was attended by 600 people including prominent figures from the academia and industry, and educators and students. The lecture was also livestreamed and 7350 people from the group’s network connected online to listen to it.
Previous memorial lectures have been delivered by prominent figures such as Venkaiah Naidu, the former Vice President of India, Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Swami Swaroopananda, the Global Head of Chinmaya Mission, and Dr. Murali Manohar Joshi, former Minister for Human Resource Development. All memorial lectures have been on the progressive topics pertaining to India’s growth.
Earlier welcoming the former President, Shishir Jaipuria, Chairman of Seth Anandram Jaipuria Group of Educational Institutions, in his Welcome Address underscored the importance of educating and skilling the country’s youth. “Our country is presently at an inflection point. We are witnessing socio-economic development and a strong political will for making India Viksit Bharat in the Amrit Kaal. Education will be a huge catalyst to empower Indian youth to drive the country’s growth. It has to be aligned with the rapidly changing needs of the industry. The focus should be on outcome-based learning with measurable results to ensure that students acquire relevant skills and knowledge applicable in real-world scenarios. We have to build and sustain a culture of academic research and innovation,” Shishir Jaipuria said.
