Nashik: Governor Jishnu Dev Varma called upon the youth to build a new India by embracing modern science, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies while drawing inspiration from the country’s ancient knowledge traditions.
He was speaking at the Chaturveda Sammelan and National Veda Shastra Awards ceremony organised by Maharshi Gautam Godavari Veda Vidya Pratishthan, Nashik. Mayor Himgauri Adke-Aher, Governor’s Secretary Prashant Narnavare, Vedacharya Ravindra Paithane, founder of the Pratishthan Brahmarshi Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Vice-Chancellor of Uttarakhand Sanskrit University, Haridwar, Prof. Ramakant Pandey, Director of the Nashik campus of the Central Sanskrit University Dr. Nilabh Tiwari, Prof. Jayant Bhatambarekar, chairman of the Dharmabhushan Gaurishankar National Veda Shastra Award Reception Committee, and Secretary of Gokhale Education Society Deepti Deshpande were among those present.
Governor Varma said that along with understanding their cultural heritage, young people should acquire world-class education. The National Education Policy 2020 provides an important opportunity in this direction. A synthesis of modern science and India’s ancient knowledge traditions can make the country stronger, he said. He appreciated the dedicated efforts of Maharshi Gautam Godavari Veda Vidya Pratishthan towards preserving and promoting the Vedic tradition and said the institution was playing an important role in connecting the younger generation with its roots. He suggested that the Pratishthan should collaborate with universities and colleges across the state.
The Governor further said Nashik is not merely a pilgrimage centre but has long been an important centre of India’s spiritual, cultural and knowledge traditions. The establishment of a campus of the Central Sanskrit University in Nashik is a matter of pride for the state. Students, researchers, Sanskrit scholars and practitioners of Indian knowledge traditions should make use of this centre. He expressed confidence that Nashik would emerge as a major national centre for Vedic and Sanskrit studies. “The Vedas are not merely our tradition; they can also become a source of strength for our future,” he said. Their preservation, research, contemporary study and dissemination of their knowledge and values among the younger generation are therefore essential.
Governor Varma stressed that students in schools and colleges should be introduced to the Vedas and Indian knowledge traditions. While creating a generation of youth that embraces modernity, it is equally important to ensure that they remain connected to their cultural roots. The fundamental ideas contained in the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, the literature of the saints and Indian philosophical traditions should be conveyed to students through accessible and modern means, he said.
Dr Nilabh Tiwari also addressed the gathering. He said that a centre of the Central Sanskrit University is being established in Nashik and that the state government has provided land for the purpose. The centre will help nurture a new generation of scholars dedicated to the study of the Vedas in Nashik, he said.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ramakant Pandey said Nashik is a city of religious, historical and mythological significance. Considering the importance of Nashik, a centre of the Sanskrit University is being established here. The university will help bring together knowledge and science and encourage a new generation to promote and disseminate Veda Shastra studies, he said.
Pratishthan Secretary Vedacharya Ravindra Paithane presented an overview of the institution’s 25-year journey. Various awards were presented by Governor Varma during the ceremony.
Award Committee members Vishwas Thakur, Vaibhav Joshi and Deepak Bagad, Yogacharya Dr Vishwas Devkar, Dr Kumar Bhatt, Ramgopal Iyer, office-bearers of the Pratishthan, citizens and a large number of students were present on the occasion.
