Neighbouring country must give up policy of aiding terror: Naidu

Peace is the prerequisite for progress as development suffers when there is tension on the border, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said today, and in an apparent reference to Pakistan, asked the "neighbouring country" to give up its policy of supporting, aiding and abetting terror.

There should be zero tolerance on matters of national security and integrity, he added.

India wants good relations with all and "a neighbouring country" must give up its policy of supporting, aiding and abetting terror, the vice president asserted.

Peace is prerequisite for progress as attention cannot be paid to developmental activities if there is tension on border, he said at an event where Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra, Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta and Union Minister Jitendra Singh were present.

The vice president said both science and religion were tools in the hands of people in their quest for prosperity and internal peace. Scientific advancements illuminate our understanding of the universe whereas religion provides answers to the unexplored universe, he added.

The issues of 'mind and soul' and the relentless internal unrest and lack of internal peace constitute this vast unexplored universe and it is religion that provides some answers to these raging issues, he said.

Research and innovation make us grow and transform the world we inhabit, he added. Posing relevant questions and seeking answers must be a way of life, the vice president said. Children and young adults must be encouraged to ask questions and search for answers, he said.

The quality of research is an important indicator of the quality of an educational system and determines the pace of a country's development, he said.

Human civilization has evolved over many millenniums by asking questions and seeking answers. This process of questioning and seeking solutions lies at the heart of research, he said.

Paying tributes to Jawaharlal Nehru, Naidu said the country's first prime minister felt that integration of science and technology with national planning was necessary to improve the socio-economic conditions of the teeming millions.

He also recalled the contribution of Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, who was the first vice president of CSIR.