Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu calls for upholding values in public life

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Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu today called for upholding values in public life and expressed his concern over frequent disruption in legislatures and parliament as also decline in standards of debates.

Speaking at the centenary celebrations of Shri Nookala Narotham Reddy, former Parliamentarian and educationist in Hyderabad, M. Venkaiah Naidu said that the recent incidents in certain State legislatures were disheartening. Stating that “disruption means derailing debate and derailing democracy and the nation”, he cautioned that people will get disillusioned if the same trend continues.

M. Venkaiah Naidu reminded that conduct in Parliament and legislatures should be in pursuit of the 3 D’s- Discuss, Debate and Decide. He said that at no point the House should become a platform for disruption. Obstructing the House only hurts the cause of public interest, he added.

Reflecting on exemplar quality of debates when Shri Narotham Reddy took part in the Parliament, Shri Naidu suggested that representatives’ actions in the legislatures should reflect people’s aspirations. To this end, he called for a more constructive and meaningful use of time in legislatures.

The Vice President also expressed his concern over the declining attendance of parliamentarians and legislators in respective Houses, he stressed the need for them to be regular and contribute meaningfully in the discussion. He also wanted them to study the debates of great parliamentarians and debates of the Constituent Assembly. The Vice President further said that the criticism by the members should be constructive and they should not resort to personal attacks against others. Shri Naidu appealed to the people to elect their representatives who possess the 4Cs – Caliber, Conduct, Capacity and Character.

Emphasizing the role of education in inculcating moral values, patriotism and probity in public life, Shri Naidu said that education should produce “well rounded holistic individuals”. Pointing to India’s demographic dividend, he said that no other nation has this kind of advantage and stressed the need to fully leverage it for the country’s progress. In this context, he called for upskilling the younger generations in tune with the 21st century needs. He advised the students to upgrade themselves with the latest technological developments.

Shri Naidu also suggested that in the spirit of New Education Policy, institutes should restructure themselves and bring in a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to education. The policy also targets at reducing the burden of curriculum and attempts to bring about a comprehensive development in the young student, matching international standards, he observed.

Recalling India’s glorious past in the field of education when students from other countries used to come to study at reputed institutions like Nalanda and Takshashila, the Vice President stressed the need to regain the past glory.

Speaking about the importance of mother tongue, the Vice President underscored the need for connecting with one’s own constituents through his/her own mother tongue. “People who elected us should know what we are talking about. That is why members should try to speak in their mother tongue as much as possible” he said. He noted that with mother tongue as a priority, the Rajya Sabha has now given an opportunity to speak in 22 languages and adequate facilities were provided for this purpose.

In his speech, the Vice President praised late Shri Narotham Reddy for his invaluable contributions to the education sector – as an administrator in Osmania University, through his support for better pay scales for faculty and by arguing for upgrading universities’ infrastructure and standards. He said that these kinds of celebrations are meant to remind and inspire the younger generation about the contributions made by great people like Shri Narotham Reddy in nation building.

Shri Md. Mohamood Ali, Home Minister of Telangana, Prof. E. Shiva Reddy, Chairman, Organising Committee of Centenary Celebrations, Shri Nookala Rajendra Reddy, Convener, Organising Committee and others were present at the event.