President: Women key to country’s development

President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday attended the second convocation ceremony of the University of Patanjali in Haridwar, where she lauded the institution’s role in integrating ancient Indian knowledge systems with modern scientific research.

Addressing the gathering, she emphasised the need for collective cooperation of the entire nation, including women, to realise the vision of a developed India by 2047. She highlighted the significant role women were playing in the educational landscape.

Murmu expressed her delight at the fact that 62 per cent of the students at Patanjali University and 64 per cent of the graduates at the convocation were girls.

Murmu said India’s great personalities had made invaluable contributions to human civilisation, with Maharishi Patanjali standing out as one who “removed the impurities of the mind through yoga, of speech through grammar and of the body through ayurveda”. She appreciated the university’s efforts in making the sage’s legacy accessible to society through education and research.

The President noted that the University of Patanjali is advancing education in yoga, ayurveda and naturopathy, calling it a vital effort towards building a healthy and holistic India. She said the institution’s India-centric educational vision, rooted in universal brotherhood, the integration of Vedic knowledge with cutting-edge science and solutions for global challenges was strengthening the country’s intellectual and cultural foundation in the modern era.

Emphasising environmental awareness, Murmu said students educated in such institutions understand that harmony with nature was essential for the future of humanity. “They will always be ready to face global challenges, including climate change,” she added.

She also stressed that nurturing individuals ultimately leads to nurturing families, societies and nations. Commending the university’s approach of nation-building through individual development, Murmu expressed confidence that its graduates would contribute to creating a healthy, harmonious and developed India through their righteous conduct.