V-P Radhakrishnan to address convocation of AIIMS Deoghar tomorrow

Deoghar: Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan will visit Deoghar in Jharkhand on Saturday to address the second convocation of the local All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), an official said.

The Vice-President will also visit the Sainya Sampark Mela at BBMT Hospital in Deoghar, the official said in a statement on Friday.

Earlier this week, Vice-President Radhakrishnan addressed the second convocation of Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University at the Qutub Institutional Area in New Delhi.

He also led the gathering in taking the "No to Drugs" pledge and presented gold medals to meritorious graduating students.

Highlighting the university's journey from a Sanskrit Vidyapeetha to a Central University, Vice-President Radhakrishnan said that it was now time for the institution to establish itself as a leading international centre of excellence for Sanskrit studies, fulfilling the vision of its founder and former Prime Minister late Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Paying tribute to former PM Shastri, the Vice-President said that his immortal call of "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan" was not merely a slogan but reflected India's resolve to protect its borders and ensure food security.

He lauded the university for securing the highest NAAC grade of A++ and for conducting research across diverse domains of the Indian Knowledge Tradition.

He said that while every Indian language has enriched the nation, Sanskrit is the "golden string" connecting the pearls of India's many languages into one grand garland.

He also appreciated the university's efforts to keep Sanskrit alive across the campus through Subhashitas, its 44-year tradition of publishing the Vidyapeeth Panchang, and its teaching of classical disciplines, including Prakrit and Vastu Shastra.

Vice-President Radhakrishnan emphasised that India's development must remain rooted in its civilisational heritage.

He said that several initiatives under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have created a favourable ecosystem for the resurgence of Sanskrit and promotion of the Indian Knowledge System.

Referring to the National Education Policy, 2020, and the Ashtadashi scheme, the Vice-President noted that rare Sanskrit texts must not be allowed to disappear and should be preserved, studied and made accessible to future generations.

Calling for greater scholarly engagement with India's manuscript heritage, Vice-President Radhakrishnan urged the university's teachers and students to undertake the discovery, preservation, critical editing and publication of unpublished Sanskrit manuscripts.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IANS

[email protected]