India on threshold of unprecedented transformation: V-P Radhakrishnan

Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Saturday said India stands at the threshold of an unprecedented transformation and asserted that the world is turning to the country for solutions rather than the other way around.

Addressing the 44th convocation of the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL) at Puttaparthi in the Sri Sathya Sai district, he credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this shift.

"Instead of India listening to the world, the world is listening to India to find solutions to its problems. That is the greatest achievement of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji," Radhakrishnan said.

He said Modi had positioned India as a hub of innovation and a beacon of sustainable development and peace.

According to the vice president, "transformative initiatives" introduced under the PM's leadership, including the National Education Policy 2020, have significantly strengthened the country and its higher education system.

On economic power, he said India must acquire it to ensure no one dictates terms to the nation. "That is where the success of a good society and a good country lies," he added.

Endorsing Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's vision, Radhakrishnan said he, too, foresaw India emerging as the world's number one economy by 2047.

He stressed the need for greater investment in research, noting that its outcomes cannot be measured with certainty.

Radhakrishnan praised SSSIHL for blending knowledge, character and a spiritual ambience that fosters respect for all religions and traditions. Every religion, he said, promotes discipline and devotion.

God is one, but we have every right to worship God as we like. Nobody should interfere with another; everyone has the freedom to worship in their own way, he said.

He said Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba had envisioned nurturing leaders who would serve society with selflessness, integrity and excellence, and an education system where service becomes a way of life.

He also noted that the visits of the president, prime minister and himself to Puttaparthi within a span of four days reflected the "strength of the blessings" of Baba.

Radhakrishnan urged graduating students to help build a good society, love it and serve it without expectations, in keeping with the teachings of the Baba.