Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's speech on Platinum Jubilee of Vidya Bhawan Society at Udaipur

"I am truly delighted to be here today. For me this is a pilgrimage to a sacred center of selfless service and learning. I pay tribute to the memory of Dr. Mohan Sinha Mehtaji and all his associates who helped create this great institution of learning and service.

Vidya Bhawan is one of our proud symbols of good citizenship. It has inspired generations of concerned citizens to step forward and contribute to social development. I bow my head to all those who have contributed to the empowerment of our people and the progress of our nation.

I must also add a personal note. I am especially delighted to be here because my good friend Jagat has carried forward to the good work of his father and the many others associated with Vidya Bhawan. When I first went to England, as a student, I was a beneficiary of Jagat's warm and gracious hospitality. We have remained friends for close to half a century now. I am glad that his son, Ajay, and others in the family are taking keen interest in the activities of Vidya Bhawan.

One of our country's great strengths has been the active involvement of civil society in social development. Even before independence groups of concerned citizens came together to set up educational institutions, public libraries, hospitals, and other such institutions. A striking aspect of such voluntarism is that it was marked by a liberal and progressive social outlook.

Men like Dr. Mehta were not just investing in education, as many private educational institutions do these days. They were also investing in social change. Many of them advocated equality of men and women. They spoke out against casteism. They were committed to secularism and modernism. The education offered was moulded by scientific temper and humanism. It is these values that shaped our freedom movement.

It was because these institutions produced such liberal minded persons, that our freedom movement was guided by such values. Some of our best educational institutions were set up by patriotic Indians to build a new India of their dreams. I urge those who invest in education today to derive inspiration from the outlook and perspective of men like Dr. Mohan Sinha Mehtaji.

I am impressed by the large representation of minorities and women among Vidya Bhawan's students. I believe the educational empowerment of all our citizens, especially Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minorities, other backward classes and women, is a national imperative. I compliment Viday Bhawan for the positive role they have played in this regard.

Apart from education, Vidya Bhawan has also participated in rural development. This is another area where non-governmental organizations have played a vital role. They continue to do so. When I see dedicated young men and women, many of them highly educated, working in villages to empower our farmers, our workers, our women, I feel encouraged and inspired. Voluntarism has emerged as a significant element in our development process.

We have constitutional provisions that seek to protect and promote the welfare of weaker sections of our society such as tribals. But the fulfillment of the objectives enshrined in the Constitution cannot be the sole responsibility of the State. Rural uplift and empowerment require a strong civil society and an active voluntary sector that not only spreads awareness but also gives people a sense of their entitlements from state and society. There are no better examples of the success of such movements than in the state of Rajasthan.

Some months ago a group of young activists came to see me. I looked into their eyes and was moved by their passionate commitment to the cause of our people. I would like to see more and more of our youth take a pro-active role in the development process. We must inculcate the spirit of community service among our youth and afford them practical opportunities through which they can contribute to the welfare of the needy and the deprived.

Idealism and motivation are a necessary but not a sufficient condition for successful engagement in the process of social change. Idealism must be combined with knowledge and motivation with organizational capability. The non-governmental sector must have its own norms of social accountability. It is not enough to say you are doing good work. Accountability and transparency and other issues of governance, including financial management, are as relevant in the voluntary sector as they are elsewhere.

Finally, there must be a proper appreciation of social, economic, environmental and other trade-offs. In managing change we must be cognizant of the fact that there are difficult trade-offs to be made. There are benefits and costs. There are beneficiaries and losers. Advantages and disadvantages. Every political leader, every administrator, every social activist is required to make choices in the course of their work.

In a democracy, the choices elected representatives make are shaped by electoral compulsions. NGOs and social activists may not have to worry about these compulsions. But they must appreciate the relevance of such factors in the process of governmental decision-making.

Any government in a democracy must take into account the views of all sections. We have to balance various interests. Hence, it is often possible that civil society groups disagree with government. There is nothing wrong in that. But they must come to accept that in the management of social change there can be different routes to the same goal.

I have read with interest the booklet prepared by Jagat Mehtaji on "Promoting Responsible Citizenship Through Voluntarism in Education". I would like the thoughts expressed here to be widely disseminated. Civil society has an important role to play in education. While the Government must play its due role, providing basic education to all, private organizations must also have the freedom to play their due role. But the private sector must bring more than investment in education. It is the vision of great educationists that in the final analysis have built great institutions of learning that have endured.

I hope Vidya Bhawan will inspire others across the country to invest in the future of our nation, by investing in education. You have served the nation well, I urge you to continue to do so. May your path be blessed".