VP Jagdeep Dhankhar urges youth to become instruments of change to take India to top by 2047

HAMIRPUR: Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, during a visit to Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur on Saturday, inaugurated the 500th Ek Se Sreshtha education centre and exhorted youngsters to become instruments of change to take India to the top by 2047.

"Development has taken place in the country at a rocket speed under the present government and now the onus to bring India to the top is on the youth, especially the women, who have been empowered through various schemes and initiatives," he said.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid a strong foundation in 'Amrit Kaal' and I have full confidence in our youth. Their energy is unprecedented and (they) will make the dream of India becoming one of the strongest countries by 2047 come true," he said.

India is not a weak country but a very strong, developed one whose voice is heard, Dhankhar said. The countries "we used to look to are looking towards us with awe", according to the vice-president. India has left the UK, France and other European countries behind in modern technology and it will become the third biggest power in five to six years, pushing Japan and Germany behind, Dhankhar claimed.

Maladies such as corruption, nepotism and inequality before the law -- that put spokes in development -- have been removed. Today, there is transparency, responsibility and equal opportunities and the aim is to provide chances to every individual to show their talent, he added.

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Women empowerment

Highlighting the empowerment of women, Dhankhar said women are excelling in all fields and reservation for them in Parliament and state assemblies is a major step in this direction.

The election of Droupadi Murmu -- a tribal woman -- as president and women's role in the Chandrayaan mission speak loudly of women power, he further said. The vice-president said the image of women is being transformed from mere homemakers to harbingers of change.

Dhankhar was accompanied at the programme by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur and Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla. He lauded Thakur's initiatives such as the Sansad Khel Mahakumbh and the Sansad Mobile Seva Yojana. The vice-president said ever since he assumed office, no year has passed without students and teachers from Hamirpur visiting him at his official residence and the "credit for this goes to Anurag (Thakur)".

Initiatives for students development

Speaking on the Ek Se Sreshtha initiative, Dhankhar said about 10,000 girls are being imparted free education at these centres, where 95 per cent of the teachers are women, empowering youngsters. The initiative aims to ensure access to quality education and provide holistic development to students from all walks of life. Noting that "shrestha" means perfection, Thakur said a large number of children are benefitting through the programme.

It is a noble initiative aimed at the holistic development of children without looking at their socio-economic backgrounds by ensuring post-school classes for free through teachers in their vicinity at the panchayat level, he added. These Ek Se Sreshtha centres focus on children of private and government schools in the 3-12 age group from all walks of life. The centres are running in Hamirpur, Una, Bilaspur, Kangra and Mandi districts of Himachal Pradesh.

Later, addressing an interactive session on the "Role of Youth in Developed India - 2047" at the National Institute of Technology, Dhankhar said education is a medium that can bring revolutionary change in the lives of youngsters. He held detailed discussions on topics such as women's empowerment and India's rapid growth.

He also invited the National Institute of Technology students to visit the Parliament House. Dhankhar said no-one is above the law and the Constitution and added that Indian democracy is one of the largest in the world where the law is supreme. Governor Shukla said the 21st century will belong to India and the country is moving towards the future with confidence.

Rajesh Dharmani, a minister in the Himachal Pradesh Cabinet, said the state government has taken many important steps to deal with natural disasters and to rehabilitate affected families. Dhankhar, who arrived in the state earlier in the day, was received in Hamirpur by Shukla, Thakur and Dharmani.