Kovind stresses on value-based education, culture of discussion

President Ram Nath Kovind today stressed on the need for a culture of discussion rather than dispute and called for value-based education to promote ethics and make children sensitive towards the less privileged people in the society.

Lauding the contribution of Pune in nation building, he said modern India owes much to the educational, reformist and progressive ideas that originated in the city.

Kovind was speaking at the inauguration of Sadhu Vaswani International School at Sadhu Vaswani Mission here.

"The city of Pune has been a centre of education for Maharashtra and for the country. The story of modern India owes much to the educational, reformist and progressive ideas that have flowed from this city, and for which our nation is truly appreciative," he said.

He said it was in Pune in 1848 that Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule opened "what is believed to have been the first modern school in India exclusively for girls".

"In their determined efforts to fight caste and gender discrimination and work for the weaker sections, Jyotiba and Savitribai Phule made education their chief weapon," he said.

"They were not alone. It was in Pune that Justice M G Ranade and others set up the Maharashtra Girls Education Society in the 19th century. In 1860, the heroic freedom fighter Vasudev Balwant Phadke was among those who founded the Maharashtra Education Society.

"Bal Gangadhar Tilak and his colleagues established the Deccan Education Society. And later Gopal Krishna Gokhale was instrumental in the creation of the Servants of India Society," the president added.

The chief architect of the Constitution, Dr B R Ambedkar, had a long relationship with Pune, Kovind said adding, "He, too, stressed the importance of education as an instrument for social change and for building a just and egalitarian society."
He described Sadhu Vaswani as one of the "most remarkable nation builders who taught how to combine the values of our ancient civilisation with the techniques of the modern age."