Addressing the concluding session of 50th Governors' Conference at Rashtrapati Bhawan today, Shri Naidu said that Governors, with their vast experience, can play an active role in shaping India's development path.
Shri Naidu said that there cannot be a better time than now for us to make our "Ek Bharat" a "Shrestha Bharat". The Vice President called upon the Governors to promote this spirit of 'Bharatiyata'.
He drew their attention towards the rich cultural traditions and linguistic, literary heritage of each state, and stressed the need for its preservation.
"You must support efforts to preserve local culture, festivals and food varieties. You must encourage healthy foods and healthy lifestyle. You must encourage the preservation of local art forms and programmes that support local artisans and craftsmen", he told the Governors.
He also asked them to ensure that local languages get their due place in administration and wherever public interfaces exist.
Calling the language as the repository of the culture of a region, Shri Naidu urged the Governors to actively encourage state governments to preserve and promote mother tongues and use them as a medium of instruction at least at the primary school level.
Shri Naidu also drew the Governors' attention to certain colonial practices which need to be reviewed. For example, addressing high dignitaries as Excellency and adopting the cap and gown dress in the university convocations can be modified to bring in an essential Indian touch.
Expressing concern over the unsustainable water use, the Vice President called for urgent need for water conservation.
Lauding the Government's aim to double farmers' incomes and make agriculture remunerative and sustainable, he mentioned several structural reforms being introduced in farm sector.
Calling 'agriculture as the basic culture' of the country, he emphasised a greater need for effective 'lab-to-land' transmission of knowledge and promotion of diversification of crops, as well as supplementation of on-farm income through horticulture, dairy, poultry and pisciculture.
The Vice President further said that in the field of higher education, the focus will have to be on encouraging innovation and continuous quest for excellence. Research and teaching facilities have to be benchmarked against the best in the world, he added.
The two-day conference at Rashtrapati Bhavan was presided over by the Hon'ble President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind. Shri Amit Shah the Union Home Minister, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of IT & Communication, Law and Justice, Shri Gajendra singh Shekhawat, Minister of Jal Shakti, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare, Shri Arjun Munda, Minister of Tribal affairs as well as the Governors of States and Lt. Governors and Administrators of UTs were among the dignitaries who attended the Conference.
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