SPEECH BY HER EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRIMATI PRATIBHA DEVISINGH PATIL, ON THE GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS OF PUNJAB PUBLIC SCHOOL

Nabha, 12th April 2010

Ladies and Gentlemen,

And my Dear Students,

I am happy to be here at the Punjab Public School in Nabha as it celebrates its Golden Jubilee. In the last 50 years since its inception, it has established itself as one of the premier residential public schools in India. I am very impressed by your wonderful riding display. It is a school that started with the noble mission of spreading quality education in Punjab, which is the Land of the Five Rivers, and a symbol of prosperity and glory. This is my first visit to Punjab and I take this opportunity to convey my warmest greetings to all the people of the State.

Every generation looks to its youth with expectation and hope. There is no doubt that education is the most potent instrument for empowering a population, and therefore, rightly education is a priority sector for any nation. Education enables people to fashion their own destiny and to contribute to the shaping of societies and nations. It is again education that generates the capacity in individuals to avail of the opportunities to work and progress. A person without education is like a ship without compass that does not know how to reach the harbour. It is in this context, that I recall the message of Swami Vivekananda. He said, when the wind is blowing, it is those vessels whose sails are unfurled, which catch it and go forward on their way, but those which have their sails furled do not catch the wind. Likewise, education opens up the world for children and this helps them understand the inter-connectivity, as well as the underlying commonality of the future of the Earth and human life, families and communities, countries and regions. Hence, an essential objective of education must be to create individuals sensitive to their environment and to the needs of fellow human beings. This will make them responsible inhabitants of the planet and enlightened citizens of their country.

Schools are centres of learning where children - the architects of the future - have the opportunity to receive education and enhance their personalities and prepare themselves to take on obligations and responsibilities. Hence, schools are uniquely important institutions.

Dear Students,

I am sure that in the course of your studies you would have learnt that the resources of the Earth are finite. Their availability during our lifetime, for your generation, as well as for future generations, can only be assured when we are careful while utilizing nature's bounty. Indiscriminate use of precious resources will result in their depletion. We must consciously adopt practices that are environment friendly and avoid wastage. Even as we use the resources of our planet, we should at the same time, make efforts to replenish them. This is important for addressing the challenges of climate change and environmental degradation, as also for meeting our growing water and energy needs. I would urge that all of you must, in your daily lives, turn off taps and switch off lights when not needed. This one thing is very simple, but extremely important. If everyone in our country does it, imagine what a colossal amount of water and energy being wasted will be saved!

India is described as a young nation because of the high proportion of the youth in our population. As the youth of the country, it should be your aim to contribute to efforts to make India a progressive nation through your talents and your knowledge. India needs educated citizens who have in them the ability to innovate and invent, particularly in the 21st Century, where the progress of the nation will be driven by the knowledge base of its population. When the 540 million youth of the country are educated and they determinedly work for the country, India will certainly emerge as a stronger country.

As students, you must prepare for your role in building the nation. It is essential that you use your time at school in the best possible manner. Study hard and when you study, it must be for true learning and understanding. Therefore, approach your studies with a sense of enquiry. Think independently and creatively. Be disciplined and methodical in your daily lives. Inculcate values like compassion, tolerance and harmony that will instill a feeling of welfare for humanity. Promote a feeling of national harmony so necessary for keeping together our country which has diverse religions, faiths, languages, castes, communities and also vast geographical distances. What we need is unity in diversity to keep our great country together. You must develop high thinking. At the same time, avoid small and narrow thoughts, as such attitudes cannot be in any way useful for the progress and prosperity either of your life or that of the nation.

You should also remember that it is the overall development of your personality that will prepare you for life. You must participate in sports and other extra-curricular activities as you are doing. Playing, as a member of a team, develops the ability to work with others to achieve targets and goals. A team may comprise of players from different religions and castes, but you are one team and you have a common cause - that is to win. It makes you secular. It is sports that can teach you to put in your best and to accept both victory and defeat in the true spirit of a sportsperson.

I am glad that Punjab Public School, Nabha has placed due emphasis on giving to its students not only good education, but also the opportunity to participate in a range of activities. The various clubs and societies of the school seek to kindle interest in the arts, nature study, hiking and cycling, photography and music, among others. The school band, I understand, has participated in the Republic Day Celebrations at New Delhi. We see during the Republic Day Parade, a confluence of the different languages, cultures, traditions and religions in our country and that makes us proud to be Indians. I hope that the students of the school will continue to participate in national events.

In today's fast changing society, teachers have a greater responsibility in interpreting developments in the world to students in the proper perspective. A high burden rests on your profession as you create the citizens of the future. There should be regular interaction with the parents through Parent Teacher Associations, and otherwise to keep the welfare of students under constant review. I believe that the strength of the nation depends on the quality of the students that we produce in our schools. Students who grow up in a healthy atmosphere and receive good education would be the harbingers of positive change in our societies.

I am told that this school has to its credit a large number of alumni who have done well in the armed forces, the civil services, public life, business, journalism, medicine and other professions. I am sure that the school will continue to achieve greater heights, propelled by its motto - 'Onward and Upward'. I wish the school the very best for the future, and I convey my very best wishes to the Board of Governors, the Head Master, Teachers and children.

Thank you.

JAI HIND.