12 Jan 2011-13 Jan 2011|Noida | Siri Fort Auditorium, New Delhi
National Congress on “Building New India through Excellence in Education” and Swami Vivekananda National Award 2011 inaugurated by Dr. S. Jaipal Reddy, Hon’ble Union Minister for Urban Development at Siri Fort Auditorium
A two-day National Congress and Awards Ceremony on “Building New India through Excellence in Education” organized by Ramakrishna-Vivekananda International Foundation to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary celebration of Swami Vivekananda was inaugurated at Sirifort Auditorium. January 12 was made as the National Youth Day in 1984 as announced by Mrs. Indira Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India, through the Union Cabinet Resolution.
Inaugurating the Congress Chief Guest Dr. S. Jaipal Reddy, Hon’ble Union Minister for Urban Development shared his views on Swami Vivekananda and said that “Swamiji has always been an influence through his childhood and has been the starting point of his intellectual and emotional journey.” Mr. Reddy stated “Swami Vivekananda was a multi dimensional personality who not only contributed volumes on India’s cultural heritage but also realized the importance of a collective global future.” Dr. Reddy added “Swami Vivekananda had unified vision and has been a fountain of progressive imagination. Swami Vivekananda was one Icon of modern India who was admired by both Communists and the RSS and came as a tonic to the depressed Indian minds during the era of colonized India. Swami Vivekananda was a prophet, missionary and a revolutionary who was alive to logic of science and reasoning and firmly professed that the method of investigation that is applied to Science and exterior knowledge should also be applied to religion.”
Addressing the gathering Mr. K. Rahman Khan, Dy. Chairman, Rajya Sabha said “Swami Vivekananda was one of the greatest spiritual leaders who inculcated national consciousness in the minds of Indians and message of unity and brotherhood are relevant till date.” Mulling over the teachings of Swami Vivekananda Mr. Khan said “there is an urgent need to bring value based education to the citizens of India. Purity and Justice need to be in the hearts of the people to make a just and pure society which will further make a pure and just country.” He added “today people should be conscious in using the media and internet and there is a need to develop more information sites in an attractive and accessible way for greater awareness and enlightment.”
During his address, Guest of Honour Dr. Ashok K. Chauhan, Founder President, Amity Group of Institutions & Chairman, AKC Group of Companies shared “The power of youth when equipped with excellence of education, caters to nation building.” Dwelling upon the mission of serving humanity he added “youth is instrumental in changing a country which further can change the world therefore there is a need to empower the youth with excellence of education to develop the future of India.”
During his address Rev. Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati, Noted Scholar Monk & President, Adhyatma Vidya Mandir, Ahmedabad said “Swami Vivekananda was a preacher of Vedanta which teaches the simple truth that each individual is a manifestation of wholeness, completeness and limitlessness and education is the process of bringing out the that manifestation of the individuals. True education is that which brings out the inherent character of the individuals that is simple, wholesome, pure and good.”
Sharing his views on the education scenario of the country Swami Dr. Parthasarathy, Chairman and Managing Trustee, Ramakrishna Vivekananda International Foundation said that “even after seventy years of independence, India is unable to provide cent percent education accessibility to its citizens. India needs conscious citizens today who can shoulder the democratic responsibility of nation building and it is only excellence of education that can bring about a corruption free India.”
During the valedictory session on January 13, 2011, Dr. Ashok K. Chauhan, Founder President, Amity Group will be conferred upon the Excellence in Education Award at Sirifort Auditorium. The two day congress would deliber on the following topics “Swami Vivekananda’s Vision of Education”, “Academic Creativity & Talent Building”, “Vision of His Holiness on Education for corruption free India” and “Education as the Driver of National Development” which will be attended by academicians, Chancellors and Vice Chancellors of several national and international universities.