Vice President Inaugurates HPS Golden Jubilee Celebrations

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today called upon all schools to forge a strong moral character in the children and inculcate in them the national values of oneness, harmony and universal brotherhood from a young age.

"Our founding fathers envisioned an India that does not discriminate on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex or even place of birth. Such inclusive and pluralistic values are what make India a special nation among the comity of nations. Take a pledge to practice and protect these values against all odds," Naidu said.

The Vice President was inaugurating the golden jubilee celebrations of the Hyderabad Public School in Ramanthapur.

Complimenting the school on the milestone, he urged making excellence the watchword in educational institutions.

Touching upon the issue of the use of mother tongue in schools, Naidu expressed concern that some schools "look down upon the student's mother tongue and encourage them to speak and learn exclusively in English". He said that learning and freely communicating in one's mother tongue not only improved the educational outcomes, but also boosted self-esteem and gave a sense of cultural belonging to the students.

Terming punctuality and discipline very important attributes for success, he exhorted the students to inculcate them, and to aim high and work hard to progress in life. Crediting discipline, dedication, commitment and hard work for his reaching the second highest constitutional position in the country, Naidu stressed that hard work had no substitute.

Praising HPS Ramanthapur for its sprawling and lush green campus, Naidu said that all educational and other institutions needed to be designed in a way that allowed sunlight and free flow of air in the premises, and helped the students love and live in harmony with nature.

Praising the young students who gave a performance of the traditional Vandana Nrityam during the ceremony, the VP called for encouraging children to take up Indian art and culture from a young age. India had a great tradition of music and dance which not only formed part of its intangible cultural heritage but also acted as a great stress reliever, he said.

Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali; MLA B Subash Reddy; Secretary of Education & Chairman of the Board of Governors of Hyderabad Public School Vakati Karuna; and the management, staff, parents of students and alumni of the school were also present on the occasion.