HYDERABAD, Mar 27: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday called for upholding values in public life and expressed his concern over frequent disruption in legislatures and Parliament besides decline in standards of debates.
Speaking at the centenary celebrations of Nookala Narotham Reddy, former Parliamentarian and educationist here, Mr Naidu said that the recent incidents in certain State legislatures were disheartening.
Stating that “disruption means derailing debate and derailing democracy and the nation”, he said and cautioned that people will get disillusioned if the same trend continues.
The Vice President reminded that conduct in Parliament and legislatures should be in pursuit of the 3 D’s- Discuss, Debate and Decide.
He said that at no point the house should become a platform for disruption. Obstructing the House only hurts the cause of public interest, Mr Venkaiah added.
Reflecting on exemplar quality of debates when Narotham Reddy took part in Parliament, Mr Naidu suggested that representatives’ actions in the legislatures should reflect people’s aspirations. To this end, he called for a more constructive and meaningful use of time in legislatures.
The Vice President also expressed his concern over the declining attendance of parliamentarians and legislators in the respective houses and stressed the need that they should be regular and contribute meaningfully in the discussion.
He also wanted them to study the debates of great parliamentarians and debates of the Constituent Assembly.
Mr Venkaiah said the criticism by the members should be constructive and they should not resort to personal attacks against others.
He appealed to the people to elect their representatives who possess the 4Cs Caliber, Conduct, Capacity and Character.
Emphasizing the role of education in inculcating moral values, patriotism and probity in public life, Mr Naidu said that education should produce “well rounded holistic individuals”.
Pointing to India’s demographic dividend, he said that no other nation has this kind of advantage and stressed the need to fully leverage it for the country’s progress.
In this context, the Vice President called for upskilling the younger generations in tune with the 21st century need and advised the students to upgrade themselves with the latest technological developments.
He also suggested that in the spirit of New Education Policy, institutes should restructure themselves and bring in a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to education. The policy also targets at reducing the burden of curriculum and attempts to bring about a comprehensive development in the young student, matching international standards, Mr Venkaiah observed.
Recalling India’s glorious past in the field of education when students from other countries used to come to study at reputed institutions like Nalanda and Takshashila, the Vice President stressed the need to regain the past glory.
Speaking about the importance of mother tongue, he underscored the need for connecting with one’s own constituents through his/her own mother tongue. “People who elected us should know what we are talking about. That is why members should try to speak in their mother tongue as much as possible” Mr Naidu said.
The Vice President noted that with mother tongue as a priority, the Rajya Sabha has now given an opportunity to speak in 22 languages and adequate facilities were provided for this purpose.
In his speech, Mr Naidu praised late Narotham Reddy for his invaluable contributions to the education sector – as an administrator in Osmania University, through his support for better pay scales for faculty and by arguing for upgrading universities’ infrastructure and standards.
He said that these kind of celebrations are meant to remind and inspire the younger generation about the contributions made by great people like Narotham Reddy in nation building.
Telangana Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali, Prof E Shiva Reddy, Chairman, Organising Committee of Centenary Celebrations, Mr Nookala Rajendra Reddy, Convener, Organising Committee and others were present at the event. (UNI)
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