"It is necessary to create conscious and aware citizens so that the preservation of democracy is done according to the basic principles of the Constitution. For that, 'legal literacy' is the need of the hour," asserted former Supreme Court judge V Gopala Gowda.
He was speaking at the 29th Foundation Day function of Bharati Vidyapeeth. On this occasion, Chancellor of Bharati Vidyapeeth Dr Shivajirao Kadam, Vice Chancellor Dr Vivek Saoji, Executive Director of Bharati Vidyapeeth Health Sciences Dr Asmita Jagtap, Registrar G Jayakumar, and former Vice Chancellor Dr MG Takwale were present.
During the event, the annual report of Bharati Vidyapeeth and the book ‘Jeevandayini Jawas’ were released.
Gowda said, “Today, most of our people do not know anything about the democratic process, powers of ministers, legal provisions, and powers of governors. It is because of this ignorance that things go wrong in a democracy. But with legal literacy, not only political leaders but also judges can be made aware of the framework of the law. So it is a significant weapon. We need legal literacy to use it responsibly. It is necessary to create value-oriented citizens in the social system today, which requires value-based education. Schools and colleges can play a crucial role in that. Today, values are declining at all levels. The quality of politics is deteriorating. In such situations, legal literacy can play an important role.’’
"For the country, humanity and patriotism are not just words but must be put into action. While creating smart, digitally advanced classrooms in urban areas, the imbalance of lack of infrastructure in rural areas needs to be addressed," he added.
Dr Shivajirao Kadam said, "‘Bharatiswayam,’ a separate portal, will be launched and it will be useful for both teachers and students. Efforts are also being made to increase the enrollment of foreign students while giving priority to research."
Dr Vivek Saoji said, "Bharati Vidyapeeth is ready to face new challenges in the education sector. The Vidyapeeth has always insisted on quality education."
G Jayakumar gave the vote of thanks. Dr Jyoti Mandlik and Rajendra Utturkar moderated the programme.
