Vice-President Calls on JNU Graduates to Uphold Integrity, Inclusion and Nation-Building

New Delhi, January 12: Vice-President of India  C. P. Radhakrishnan on Monday urged graduating students of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to place intellectual honesty, social inclusion and national service at the core of their professional and personal lives, saying education must shape character and responsibility, not just confer degrees.

Addressing the university’s 9th convocation ceremony, the Vice-President congratulated the students and said India’s youth will play a decisive role in realising the vision of a developed nation by 2047. Recalling the ideas of Swami Vivekananda on his birth anniversary, he stressed that education should strengthen moral values, sharpen intellect and enable self-reliance.

Highlighting India’s long tradition of knowledge, Radhakrishnan referred to ancient centres such as Nalanda and Takshashila and classical texts including the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, Arthashastra and Thirukkural, noting that learning has always been linked with ethical conduct and social duty in Indian civilisation.

The Vice-President underlined the need for harmony between scientific progress and cultural values, stating that both must advance together. Referring to JNU’s democratic culture, he said debate, discussion and dissent are vital in a democracy, but added that these processes should ultimately lead to decisions and cooperative implementation for effective governance.

He also praised the university’s efforts to promote diversity and inclusion in admissions and faculty appointments, and commended its expansion into civilisational and emerging academic areas. The establishment of centres for Hindu, Jain and Buddhist Studies, along with initiatives to promote Indian languages such as Tamil, Assamese, Odia, Marathi and Kannada, was cited as being in line with the National Education Policy’s emphasis on learning in mother tongues.

In his concluding remarks,  Radhakrishnan advised students to remain guided by constitutional values, respect their parents and teachers, and actively contribute to reducing social inequalities. He wished the graduates success and reaffirmed the country’s collective commitment to unity and progress.

Union Education Minister  Dharmendra Pradhan, JNU Chancellor  Kanwal Sibal, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, senior officials, faculty members, students and their families attended the ceremony.