Ladies and Gentlemen, and my dear students,

I am truly delighted to be here to participate in the Golden Jubilee celebrations of your school. I am always happy to be among students. As you know, I chose to be a teacher and enjoyed being a teacher. Even today, I see myself still as a teacher, in a slightly bigger classroom! I am, therefore, truly delighted to be in a school. I am even more happy to be in a historic institution like yours.

I believe this year you are actually celebrating two different anniversaries. There is, of course, the Golden Jubilee of the Sisu Vihar School set up by Andhra Yuvathi Mandali. But this year also marks the end of the 70th anniversary of the creation of the Mandali itself. I believe it was in that historic year of 1935, the year of the enactment of the Government of India Act, that a group of patriotic Indians came together to create the Andhra Yuvathi Mandali.

It must have been a landmark event. At a time when women were still second class citizens in many developed countries of the world, it was truly remarkable that in this feudal kingdom of the Nizam of Hyderabad, enlightened citizens led by respected freedom fighters came together to promote the cause of women's empowerment and children's education.

We must feel truly proud of the fact that our national movement did have a very positive impact on the status of women. The women and men who came together to build this organization were deeply influenced by the teachings and example of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhiji was perhaps the first political leader anywhere in the world to draw ordinary women out of the household, out of the kitchen, out of their seclusion and into public life, onto the streets and on the political stage. Few national movements anywhere in the world had so many women participating in them in such large numbers, so spontaneously.

Reflecting on his 25 years in public life in 1940, Gandhiji observed, and I quote:

"My contribution to lies in my presenting for acceptance "truth and ahimsa" in every walk of life, whether for individuals or nations. I have hugged the hope that in this woman will be the unquestioned leader and, having thus found her place in human evolution, will shed her inferiority complex. Woman is the incarnation of ahimsa. Ahimsa means infinite love, which again means infinite capacity for suffering. And who but woman, the mother of man, shows this capacity in the largest measure? Let her translate that love to the whole of humanity... and she will occupy her proud position by the side of man. She can become the leader in satyagraha."

Clearly, Gandhiji was truly committed to gender equality and the empowerment of women. It is, therefore, not surprising that Congressmen like the Late Shri Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, the first popularly elected Chief Minister of Hyderabad State, was among the pioneers who helped build the Andhra Yuvathi Mandali. It is also interesting to note that even as early as in 1935, a group of Hyderabadi men and women, including people like Shri Burgula Ramakrishna Rao, Shri Madapati Hanumantha Rao, Shri K V Ranga Reddy, Smt Seetha Kumari, Smt Saraswathi Devi and Smt Anantha Lakshmi Devi chose to give your organization the name "Andhra Yuvathi Mandali"!

This year, when Andhra Pradesh celebrates its own Golden Jubilee, your State should feel proud to be home to institutions like yours that helped build "Swarna Andhra Pradesh". Andhra Yuvathi Mandali is a pioneering institution and an institution of pioneers. It is one of the earliest women's educational institutions in this part of India. I compliment all those who have been associated with this great institution. I wish you an even brighter future of commitment and fulfillment.

Andhra Pradesh is fortunate to have institutions like yours where individual initiative has contributed to collective good. May your path be blessed. I also compliment your Chief Minister, Shri Rajasekhara Reddyji and his cabinet colleagues who have already demonstrated to the people of Andhra Pradesh their sincere commitment to the State's development and progress. Your State is destined to be at the forefront of our national development.

The Congress Government led by Shri Reddyji has taken several far-reaching initiatives that will accelerate the pace of progress of Andhra Pradesh. The many initiatives we have launched in infrastructure development, in education, in industrial development will benefit all regions of this State. I know that Rajasekhara reddyji and his colleagues are sincerely committed to the all-round progress and development of all regions of the State. I wish them well.

Ladies and Gentlemen, and my dear students,

Our Government is sincerely committed to the empowerment of children and women. We have taken several initiatives to give legal and economic rights to women and to invest in the education and health of our children, especially the girl child.

The gender responsive legislation and gender responsive budgeting that we have initiated will go a long way in making governments and governance more gender sensitive. We are pursuing legislation that will provide flexibility in working hours to women and encourage greater employment of women in the industrial and services sectors. We have passed a bill on protection of women from domestic violence. We have effected changes in the Criminal Procedure Code and the Hindu Succession Act to empower women.

In gender budgeting, we will ensure the "mainstreaming" of gender concerns. An attempt is being made to go beyond conventional areas of "women" concern, like education and health, to focus on gender sensitive policies, resource allocation, and implementation in all sectors including transport, power, petroleum, and so on. The Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme for the Children of Working Mothers also seeks to empower women by enabling them to work even as their infants are cared for. We are committed to greater and equal participation of women in decision-making at all levels of government and our democratic institutions.

I am also proud of the fact that our Government has launched the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya scheme to set up 750 residential schools at elementary level for girls belonging predominantly to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes and minorities, residing in Educationally Backward Blocks.

We have also taken several initiatives to improve the capabilities of our children by investing in their education and health. We have vastly expanded and increased funding for Sarva Siksha Abhiyan. We have expanded the Integrated Child Development Scheme increased funding for child nutrition programmes. The Commission for Protection of the Child Rights Bill 2005 was introduced in the Lok Sabha in May 2005. A National Plan of Action for Children, to improve the overall status of the Indian child, is being prepared.

There is much, much more we must do and can do to empower women, educate the girl child and enhance the capabilities of all our children. I make this solemn commitment that our Government gives the highest priority to all these objectives.

My dear students,

I want each one of you to develop a spirit of adventure and enquiry. I know that you have all grown up, as indeed we have, being told that today's children are tomorrow's citizens. Perhaps there is a flaw in that old saying. In a rapidly modernizing world, in a world of instant communication, in a country with a young populationg, today's children are in fact increasingly today's citizens. You have both the rights and responsibilities of all citizens. Your education is, therefore, an investment in our future and our present.

I dream of an India in which every child can go to school. An India in which no child goes hungry. An India in which all children have the opportunity to learn, to play, to be healthy and to live a life of dignity and self-respect.

I salute the mothers of our country who invest in the health and the happiness of their children with their blood, sweat and tears. I salute our mothers who educate their children. I salute our mothers who feed their infants and protect them against disease through proper medical care. I salute our mothers who find the time to engage themselves in activities such as those of the Andhra Yuvathi Mandali. You are the true builders of a new India. May your path be blessed.

Jai Hind!