VP visits Mizoram varsity, asks students to stay true to roots

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today exhorted the students of the Mizoram University to stay true to their roots and respect the customs and traditions of the country.

Delivering a lecture this morning after inaugurating the administrative building of the university, the vice president said students should be well-versed in their mother tongues before learning a foreign language.

He stressed the need to eradicate poverty and illiteracy to bridge the urban-rural divide in the country.

Naidu, during his maiden visit to the state as vice president, expressed hope that Mizoram University, which bagged the 81st spot in the National Institutional Ranking Framework, would become an education hub for the northeast region in the years to come.

"If APJ Abdul Kalam, who distributed newspapers at one point of time, could become the president of India and Narendra Modi, who sold tea at railway platforms, could become the Prime Minister, any hard working students can achieve high positions in life," he asserted.

The vice-president, who was here for the day, also laid foundation stones for boys and girls hostels at the university.

"If you work hard with dedication, you will excel in your studies," he told the students.