Two-Day National Seminar on “75 Years of Independence: India’s Achievements and Aspirations” commenced at Central University of Punjab

Bathinda : The inaugural ceremony of ICSSR-sponsored two-day national seminar on “75 Years of Independence: India’s Achievements and Aspirations” was held at the Central University of Punjab on Friday.The programme, conducted under the patronage of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Raghavendra P. Tiwari, focused on giving an overview of development in various sectors during the 75 years of Independence and sensitizing youngsters about the Indian education system and future reforms; Indian Science and Technology: Glorious Past & Future; Indian Culture and Economic Development; Indian Agriculture Reforms and Future Prospects; Sporting Glory of India and the Way Ahead; and Law and Governance: Milestones and Expectations.

The Chief Guests of the inaugural ceremony were Prof. D.K. Singh, Director, AIIMS, Bathinda and Prof. G.S. Bajpai, Vice-Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law. Shri Gunthe Lakmanji, National Joint Organising Secretary, ABRSM and Prof. Kuldip Chand Agnihotri, Ex-Advisor, Ministry of Culture, GoI and Former VC, CU HP graced the occasion as Guest of Honour and Keynote Speaker respectively.

Chief Guest Prof. D.K. Singh, Director, AIIMS, Bathinda, stated that on the occasion of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, we need to join in actualizing the mission of ‘Ek Bharat, Swastha Bharat’ by adopting the secret of bringing swachhta into daily life. He stated that although the average life expectancy age of Indians has increased since 1947, we still need to improve our quality of life by adopting the Bharatiya way of life and by eradicating modern lifestyle diseases. He also discussed the role of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission in providing hassle-free medical services.

Prof. G.S. Bajpai, Vice-Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, stated that Indian civilization has evolved into Bharat and the nation state during the course of thousands of years, even while keeping its unique traits of multiculturalism, multilingualism and promoting the spirit of search for truth. He talked about key milestones accomplished in the field of law and governance. He urged participants to respect each other’s cultures to realise the idea of India.

The Guest of Honor, Shri Gunthe Lakmanji, National Joint Organizing Secretary, ABRSM, emphasised that the youngsters of the nation need to know the sacrifice of freedom fighters and work for making an AtmaNirbhar Bharat. He motivated teachers to implement NEP 2020 in its true spirit and make India the Knowledge Capital of the world.

The Keynote Speaker, Prof. Kuldip Chand Agnihotri, Ex-Advisor, Ministry of Culture, GoI, stated that the people of the Sapta Sindhu region have always protected our civilization from foreign invaders. He underlined that the founder of the Sikh religion, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, was the only saint during the history of mediaeval India who wrote against the atrocities of the Mughals in the form of Babar Vani. He said that the Amrit Period commenced in the year 1699, when the Tenth Guru of Sikhism, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, initiated Khalsa tradition by removing the fear of death from people’s minds and inspiring them to act as warriors to perform their duty to protect the innocent from religious persecution. He discussed how the NEP-2020 transformational reform of obtaining education in the mother tongue would encourage learners to think critically and find innovative solutions to local issues.

In his presidential address, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. R.P. Tiwari, stated that every citizen of India should know about the history of Indian civilization, knowledge, traditions and values. He highlighted that the National Education Policy-2020 promotes a Bharat-centric way of education for the holistic development of students as it offers various innovative reforms such as multidisciplinary learning, an academic bank of credits, multiple entry-exit, LOCF-based curriculum, experiential learning and several other reforms. He emphasised that higher education institutions should implement NEP-2020 in order to instill a scientific temperament in young people.

Prof. B.P. Garg, Controller of Examinations and Registrar (O) proposed a vote of thanks towards the end of the inaugural session.

This two-day national seminar will feature several plenary sessions where eminent speakers from across the country will dwell on various sub-themes.