Speech by Hon'ble President of India, Shrimati Pratibha Devisingh Patil, at the Presentation of the Rashtrapati Scouts and Guides Awards for the Years 2007-08 and 2008-09

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to present the Rashtrapati Scouts and Guides Award Certificates for the years 2007-08 and 2008-09. These certificates are recognition of hardwork and discipline, so I congratulate all the winners. Bharat Scouts and Guides is a movement that places 'service' before 'self', and hence, is worthy of praise. I congratulate all its members for their commendable work in fostering the spirit of national integration and for promoting youth development activities. I also call on them to motivate others to work selflessly.

A holistic approach towards the development of youth is extremely necessary for preparing them to undertake service towards the nation and towards humanity. India is a country of young people, with 54 percent of its population in the age group below 25 years. Youth are clearly destined to play a major role in the future of India. It is important to impart education and skills to them so that they can earn a good livelihood. It is also important to inculcate right values in them and nurture the mental, physical and spiritual aspects of their personality. A life without virtue is like a flower without fragrance. I am reminded of Gandhiji's words, "All your scholarship would be in vain if at the same time you do not build your character." It is heartening to note that Bharat Scouts and Guides seek to build balanced human beings and is engaged in promoting lectures, seminars, competitions and exhibitions for this purpose.

All parents want their children to do well in life and, at the same time, to be responsible citizens. Channelising the energy and capabilities of the youth for the task of nation building is necessary. It is necessary to approach rural youth and rope them in also. The range and the nature of opportunities that exist today were unthinkable during my times when I was a student. The advances in science and technology have opened new areas of activities and new fields of knowledge. For its development, the country needs to harness the talent of its people and the advances of science and technology for increasing productivity of the agricultural, industrial and service sectors. The youth must concentrate on acquiring new skills and knowledge, which can be used for the welfare of the people of the country.

The youth and the students of today will be architects of the India of tomorrow. Great hopes are pinned on you. I believe that discipline is of fundamental importance to our nation. Whether it is in our school, in our work, or in our civil life, if there is discipline in our daily lives, we would be more systematic and, hence, more productive in whatever we do. It gives confidence in facing the world with resolve and fortitude. It is also important that we are honest and abide by rules and regulations. We must fight corruption and corrupt practices. Hard work, discipline, commitment and determination will be the wheels on which one can navigate through tough terrains and reach the destination. You, the youth, are to carry the nation forward to take its place as an exemplary democracy, an economic power and a progressive society. For achieving success, William Shakespeare said, "Know more than others. Work more than others." I hope that you will use your time wisely and work hard to acquire knowledge.

There would be times when you would find success rather easily and there would be other times when you would be faced with difficult situations. The trying moments can also be moments of introspection for finding solutions to problems and for looking at other opportunities. My appeal to students is to prepare well for meeting life's challenges and be ready so that there are no missed opportunities.

There is also much that the youth can do to help rid society of prejudices and social evils by changing mindsets. I will give an example. There is a young girl - 11 years old - in Bengal, Rekha Kalandi who refused to be a child bride. Due to low family income, Rekha's parents wanted to marry her off but she resisted saying she wanted to continue her education and would not marry till she got a job. With the assistance of her school friends and teachers, Rekha convinced her parents about the ill effects of this social practice. Her resistance has led to increased awareness about the evils of child marriage in the region. She continues with her studies and I am sure will become well educated and will contribute to building a more progressive nation.

It is important to create awareness among the people on various socio-economic issues. I have often called on civil society, NGOs and educated youth to engage in social work and to have regular and constant interaction with the local population to create awareness amongst them and extend to them support for building their capacities and skills.

The youth must appreciate the richness and diversity of our culture and imbibe our age-old values of truth, tolerance and respect for all, in particular for their parents, teachers and elders. The spirit of harmony and tolerance has been our hallmark and you should strive to uphold these values. The nation needs the contribution of every individual to strengthen every fabric of our nation. Movements like the Bharat Scouts and Guides create an atmosphere of cooperation that promotes national integration.

We cannot ignore the planet on which we live and the challenge of climate change we face. Each one of you can take a pledge to plant a tree by the end of this season. Use water and energy with care, both are scarce resources so do not waste them. Collect old clothes and distribute them amongst the poor. Collect unused medicines and give them to doctors for distribution to poor patients. Also develop a civic sense to keep your city, town and village clean. I hope it will be possible for you to follow these suggestions in your daily life and promote and propagate these among your friends. This will be an important contribution of individuals to the effort to keep our environs clean as well as to reducing pollution and tackling climate change.

This year is being celebrated as Centenary Year of Scouting. Baden Powell started this movement in India and the first Scout unit was established in 1909 at Bangaluru. The completion of 100 years, being an important landmark for Scouts, should encourage the organization to take up new challenges in the years to come. Today it has its network of branches, which cover all the states of India. I am happy to know the membership of the Bharat Scouts and Guides is about 42.5 lakh, the third largest in the world. My best wishes to everyone associated with it.

I congratulate Shri Rameshwar Thakur, a young man of 80, for taking keen interest in this valuable movement and inspiring new youth to join this movement. I also congratulate Shri Virbhadra Singh for taking interest in this movement. It should inspire others to do so.

Thank you. 
Jai Hind. 
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