SPEECH BY HER EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRIMATI PRATIBHA DEVISINGH PATIL AT THE AT THE SILVER JUBILEE FUNCTION OF THE MAYO COLLEGE GIRLS' SCHOOL

Ajmer, Rajasthan, 19th September 2011

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On the occasion of the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Mayo College Girls' School, I convey my greetings to all students and to the Board of Governors, the Principal, members of the teaching faculty as well as the staff. I am happy to be in the city of Ajmer and to be able to participate in your school function. Earlier this morning, I offered prayers at the Dargah of the Sufi saint, Hazarat Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti. Ajmer is visited by many people throughout the year, who come to the Dargah and to the nearby Pushkar Lake. Ajmer is also well known as a centre for education, and Mayo College has definitely contributed to its reputation in this field.

It was way back in 1875, that the Mayo College School for boys was founded in this city. It is today counted amongst one of the well renowned public schools in the country. Slightly more than a century later, in 1987 another important chapter was added with the establishment of the Mayo College Girls' School - this prestigious School. It is often said that establishing institutions is, perhaps, not as difficult as maintaining them. It is an even a greater challenge to move them forward and to add value as they grow. In its short history of about two and a half decades, your school has produced many students who have done well in their careers and made impressive contributions in different fields. This shows the strength of the education provided by you. That you have been able to handle all these aspects bears testimony to an inspiring vision and a determined dedication to move forward. For this meritorious achievement, here, I must congratulate the Board of Governors and teachers.

This school was the actualization of the need for having an exclusive residential institution for girls, which apart from education, would ensure, as your founders envisioned, that its ethos was imbued with Indian traditions and culture, without ignoring the challenges of the present or the future. Indeed, one can confidently say that your founders had the foresight to see that change was the essence of societies. They also understood that the new that is good should be accepted with openness and, at the same time, that what is good in our culture should be retained. An education that mixes the new and the traditional is essential for creating well-rounded human beings, who understand fully the richness of our age old civilization, our nation's future imperatives and what life is, in its full essence.

A school must make every effort to provide the best it can to its students. I understand that the teacher to student ratio of your school is a healthy ratio of one is to nine. This enables the giving of detailed attention to each child and her needs; both academic and emotional. At the same time, it also leads to good interaction between the teacher and the student. This ensures that the relationship between the teaching faculty and the students is one of trust, much like that of our age old guru-shishya tradition of learning, which looks at the overall development of the student.

As students, I would advise you, to work to acquire a broad range of skills and knowledge. In addition, make strong efforts to imbibe values like tolerance, respect for the views of others, and adhering to truth and honesty. It is most important to understand that knowledge without values is incomplete. It is a value system that can prepare the younger generation to become sensitive human beings, who make their homes happy homes, as well as to become responsible citizens who contribute to promoting a welfare society, making the nation a prosperous nation and working for the proper advancement of the human race. Values provide an anchor in life as well as the ability to take decisions, however difficult. They make a person inwardly strong and hence, capable of meeting the greatest of storms, with fortitude. While students should work for their individual achievements, at the same time they must be team players. It is important to remember that the success of nations, in the world of the future, will depend on how they can develop team work in various national activities.

I have confidence in the capabilities and talent of our young girls. Girls approach their studies with innate talent and sincerity, and this is reflected in their many academic successes. When I visit schools and universities I have seen, a number of times girl students receiving many awards. On many occasions they outnumber boys in winning awards! Therefore, I am sure teachers here have no complaints with regard to lack of sincerity from their students! These qualities have led to women excelling in various professions, and I am sure that with more opportunities they shall do even better.

It is the job of a school and its teachers to provide its students with knowledge about the subjects in the curricula, but it is not this aspect alone that can help a student face the challenges of life and a professional career in the modern era. The achievements of 21St Century education will be defined by teaching methodologies that make the students creative thinkers. In today's world, students should know how to apply the knowledge that they have learnt in school, in a practical and constructive manner. We are moving into a world where the ability to produce a product - physical or intellectual - in the most efficient way and of high quality, has becomes one of the cornerstones of the global economy. This means thinking and operating in new ways, with greater use of new technologies, with a human face. You will, therefore, be called upon to adapt to new challenges and innovate as you face a situation. You will need to absorb and quickly comprehend streams of new information, use that information to solve new and unique problems, and then present those solutions in innovative and effective ways. Therefore, you will need to be independent learners and problem solvers.

I would urge the Board of the Mayo College Girls' School and its teaching faculty, to keep this in mind while formulating the teaching programme for its students. There is no doubt that much effort and thought has been given to these aspects, however every school cannot rest on the good work done in the past, as it is a living institution which must be alive to the challenges of the future.

I would like to tell the students of Mayo School that you are students of a great institution, and have the opportunity of studying, playing and living in beautiful environs. These are the most wonderful years of your life, when you are learning and absorbing knowledge, when you are building-up your personality and forming friendships, which will act as bonds for the rest of your lives. Apply yourself with your full concentration and energy to learning, so that you can get the maximum benefit. The foundations that you lay today will remain with you throughout your lives. Young innocent minds are like the delicate petals of a beautiful flower, spreading the fragrance of joy and love all over. You, my dear girls, are the agents, who will emanate or dissipate the gentle and tender rays of kindness for building a better future.

I would once again like to congratulate the Board of Governors, faculty and students of the Mayo College Girls' School on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee. I especially wish the Principal, Smt. Jamila Singh, who has been with the school since its very inception, the very best for her future work to maintain the high standards of the school.

Thank you.

JAI HIND!