Lt Governor hails PM for turning city of temples into education hub

Jammu, Feb 6: Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for turning city of temples, Jammu into an education hub, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said that it’s the only city in the country which houses four premiere education institutions.
Interacting with students from the North-Eastern states visiting Jammu under the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad’s (ABVP) Students’ Experience in Inter-State Living (SEIL) initiative, Lt Governor Sinha, said, “Jammu is the only city in India that houses four premier educational institutions—AIIMS, IIM, IIT, and a Central University.”
Sinha said, “Jammu, known as the ‘City of Temples’ since ancient times, has now evolved into a hub of education. It is ‘Shiksha ka Shahar’ (City of Education). No other Indian city like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai etc. has all four premier institutions together. This makes Jammu one of the most important cities in the country,”
Sinha also underscored the importance of unity and youth empowerment in nation-building. Quoting Chandra Kumar, he said, “Man possesses all the powers,” and urged students from Jammu and the North-East to build strong bonds to contribute to India’s progress.
“Unity is our biggest strength. I hope the youth of Jammu & Kashmir and the North-East work together towards making ‘Vikshit Bharat’ (Developed India),” he added.
Encouraging students from the North-East to become brand ambassadors of Jammu and Kashmir, Lt Governor called on the younger generation to focus on inclusive development.
“I urge the youth to also pay attention to the weaker sections of society. Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat is PM Modi’s vision, and I believe this brotherhood will bring new energy to J&K’s development,” he said.
“I want our youth to focus on the needs and aspirations of weaker and vulnerable sections of the society so that they are able to participate in the development process and contribute to all-round progress,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
Lt Governor commended the initiative by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) aimed at promoting oneness and providing opportunities to youth to experience Unity in Diversity. “I am extremely proud that as the world’s largest student organization, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, since its inception, is making a significant contribution in strengthening the spirit of unity and brotherhood by eliminating geographical distance and has connected the youth with the cultural roots of India.”
“The main basis of the unity amidst diversity is our emotional bond and all the students must have felt it among the families during their stay in Jammu. I hope the ideals and values of unity that the youth have learnt during their visit will always guide them throughout their life,” he said.
Pertinently, the SEIL programme, launched in 1965, has created an emotional bridge between the youth of the North-East region and the rest of the country. This initiative with its motto -One Nation – One People – One Culture, is playing a pivotal role in realizing the vision of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” and enabling youth to live and understand Unity in Diversity in real sense.”
The distinctive feature of the SEIL programme is that each student stays with a local family, which does not treat them as guests but as family members. This allows students to understand local culture and lifestyle while host families also get an opportunity to experience Bharat’s cultural diversity.
The Lieutenant Governor also spoke on the development journey of North-East States under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He paid tributes to the prominent personalities from North-East states and recalled their contribution to nation building.
The Lieutenant Governor urged the people to visit the North-East region in large numbers and experience their natural beauty and warm hospitality.
On the occasion, the students from the North-East states also shared their experience of SEIL programme. The host families where the young delegates stayed during the tour were also felicitated by the Lieutenant Governor.
This year, under the SEIL initiative, 30 students from Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim visited Jammu and each student got the opportunity to live as a member of a local family.
During their stay in Jammu, the delegates also experienced various interactive sessions, cultural programs and educational visits to understand the rich heritage and traditions of the region.
Prominent persons who attended the program included Yudhvir Sethi and Dr Narinder Singh Raina – Members of Legislative Assembly; Dr Nagesh Thakur, Special Invitee & Member, National Executive Council, ABVP; Dr Ajay Sharma, President, ABVP J&K; Sanak Shrivats, Secretary, ABVP J&K. (KNO)