Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], September 5 (ANI): Addressing teachers at the state-level Teacher Award Ceremony organized by the Education Department in Ahmedabad on Friday, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel urged teachers to instill in students from childhood the values of Swadeshi and "Nation First," to help realize the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, stated a release.
He noted that today's child is tomorrow's citizen, making this a vital responsibility of teachers.
The CM honoured 30 teachers from across the state with the 'Best Teacher Award', and certificates were also presented to five outstanding students in the presence of Education Minister Kuber Dindor.
Quoting the Prime Minister, CM said that, after parents, teachers had the greatest influence on a child's mind. He highlighted the bond between teacher and student as one of affection rather than blood and urged teachers to shape the future generation by contributing to the vision of a Viksit Bharat through a Viksit Gujarat.
Further, the CM stated that no task in life should be deemed small, and the meaning of true teaching lay in sincerely fulfilling the duties entrusted to us.
On the 137th birth anniversary of lifelong teacher Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, he congratulated all award-winning teachers and students, noting that honoring the Best Teachers on this day was the "right job at the right time."
He further stressed that education formed the strongest foundation of any society.
The CM further stated that the PM promoted stress-free learning while reducing parents' financial burden, and thanked both the PM and Finance Minister for the recent Next-Gen GST reforms, noting their focus on education and the resulting reduction in educational material costs.
Referring to the New Education Policy and initiatives like Namo Lakshmi and Namo Saraswati, CM recalled Acharya Chanakya's maxim to stress the vital role of teachers, noting that gurus have long been torchbearers of knowledge in India.
Quoting Swami Vivekananda, he said education builds character and that a teacher's positivity is their greatest strength. He also urged people to benefit from government schemes and work together to realize the Prime Minister's vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.
On this occasion, Education Minister Kuber Dindor, citing examples of Lord Krishna, Acharya Chanakya, Vinoba Bhave, and Kakasaheb Kalelkar, highlighted the vital role of gurus in Indian culture. He lauded teachers for shaping students' character and contributing to their holistic development, which also enhances the state's identity.
On this occasion, the Minister also referred to the inspiring example of Ranjitsinh Disale, a teacher from Paritewadi village in Maharashtra, who won the Global Teacher Prize, regarded as the "Nobel Prize of Teaching."
Speaking about the changing modes of education, the Minister said that while modern technology, AI, and robots are now being used in schools, it is only teachers who can instill values in students. In this regard, he added that the role of teachers remains permanent and vital.
The Education Minister also congratulated and extended best wishes on behalf of the State Government to 94 teachers at the district level and 153 teachers at the taluka level who were also felicitated locally.
On this occasion, a short film titled "Amara Shikshak Amara Margdarshak", produced by the Education Department, was also showcased.
The event was attended by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation Mayor Pratibhaben Jain, MLAs Babubhai Patel, Harshad Patel, Kaushik Jain, Dinesh Kushwaha, Standing Committee Chairman Devang Dani, Principal Secretary of the Education Department Mukesh Kumar, Director of Education M.I. Joshi, along with officials of the Education Department and a large number of teachers. (ANI)