Need for govt, masses to jointly overcome challenges: Venkaiah

: In spite of the remarkable progress achieved in various fields from space to agriculture, the country has many challenges, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu Thursday said there was a need for the government and civil society to come together for addressing the challenges.

The Vice-President said this while delivering a memorial lecture organised by Badrivishal Pannalal Pitti Trust here.

He said every citizen must become an agent of change and contribute to the building of a more empathetic, caring and harmonious society.

"Ours is a rich, ancient civilisation and from time immemorial we believed in the philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,' he said.

"At one time, India was called 'Vishwaguru' and we contributed upto 27 per cent of the world GDP. Following waves of foreign invasions and colonisation, we lost our pre-eminent position," he said.

"Today, India is on the rise again. Worldover, the country is respected for its economic growth, democratic values and for practising Gandhian principle of non-violence," he said.

About 20 per cent of Indian population still lives in poverty and an equal percentage continues to be illiterate, Naidu said.

The growing urban-rural divide with lack of adequate education and health facilities in villages, gender discrimination, caste barriers, communalism, religious extremism, regionalism and atrocities on women were some of the challenges that need to be collectively addressed by every citizen, a press release quoted the vice-president as saying.

He further said Badrivishal Pannalal Pitti was a great philanthropist, educationist, socialist and a great connoisseur of art, music and literature, who had also played an important role in the founding of the Socialist Party in 1955.

Badrivishal exemplified the role of a socially conscientious citizen, who had practised to the hilt Indias age-old philosophy of Share and Care', he said.

There was a need to draw inspiration from such people and bring about a change in the attitude of people in the increasingly materialistic world, he said.

Naidu called upon NGOs like Badrivishal Pitti Trust to make every effort in eradicating social evils and building a new and prosperous India, which shall be free of narrow prejudices, corruption, illiteracy and poverty.