Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu calls upon youth to fight social evils, bigotry and prejudice

New Delhi: Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu called upon the youth to strive to build a new India which is “free of fear, corruption, hunger, discrimination, illiteracy, poverty, caste barriers and urban-rural divide.” Interacting with students of Delhi University, who called on him at his residence here on Saturday, Naidu urged youth to develop a constructive attitude and focus on achieving perfection in whatever they do. “Learn to preserve traditional values, shun negativism, develop a positive attitude, be socially conscientious, peace-loving and affectionate,” he added. “You must be in the forefront in the fight against social evils, bigotry, prejudices and promote gender equity and inclusiveness,” Naidu told students. Naidu further opined that the future belongs to those who “dare to dream and possess the courage, resilience and competence to create a better tomorrow.” Reflecting upon the development of the Indian economy in recent times, Naidu said that it was ‘Advantage India now.’ “With India consistently achieving a growth rate of more than 7 per cent for the past few years, the Indian economy is projected to become the third largest in the coming 10-15 years. One must strive to build an inclusive and a prosperous New India and usher in ‘Ram Rajya,’” the vice-president said. Asserting that knowledge would be the driver of the Indian economy, Naidu called for reorienting of the higher education system to make it globally competitive. “The overhauling of the education system should totally eliminate colonial mindset and teach real history, ancient civilization, culture and heritage and instill the values of nationalism among the students,” he said. Naidu also opined considering India’s demographic, providing adequate skilling and knowledge to youth can help them become job creators instead of job seekers.