Uttar Pradesh: Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on Friday urged young women to become "expert mothers" before aspiring to become IAS officers or teachers, saying that building strong families is as important as building successful careers.
Addressing the 41st convocation of Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University (CSJMU) in Kanpur, Patel said professional success should go hand in hand with the ability to nurture a family.
"Whether you become an IAS officer or a teacher, first become an expert mother. Everyone should know how to cook the food prepared at home," the Governor told graduating students.
Expanding on the theme, Patel said education should not merely produce degree holders but individuals capable of fulfilling their responsibilities towards society and their families. She stressed that professional competence and social responsibility must go together if education is to serve its true purpose.
Calling upon young women to prepare themselves for family life alongside pursuing careers, Patel said motherhood and nurturing a family require as much dedication, knowledge and commitment as any profession. She also encouraged women not to discontinue their education after marriage, saying their learning and skills should continue to contribute to nation building.
The Governor said the responsibility of parents does not end once their children secure admission to schools or colleges. They must remain actively involved in their children's lives and monitor their activities, as even a small lapse in supervision could adversely affect their future.
Patel also expressed concern over the growing incidence of domestic violence and crimes against women, saying the rise in such offences raises questions about the quality of education being imparted.
"If degrees are increasing but society continues to witness such crimes, it reflects the true state of our education. Moral values are as important as academic knowledge," she said.
Highlighting another area of concern, the Governor referred to drug abuse around university campuses. She said a Raj Bhavan monitoring team had detected cases where narcotics were allegedly being supplied near hostels through food delivery containers. According to Patel, administrative intervention helped dismantle the network.
Her remarks are in line with a series of speeches delivered over the past week in which she has repeatedly emphasised women's health, financial independence, family values and social responsibility.
Earlier this week, while addressing a mother-daughter conference after the convocation of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Language University in Lucknow, Patel called for greater awareness about anaemia, menstruation, menopause, pregnancy and maternal health. She directed universities to organise regular health check-ups for girl students, install BMI testing facilities and introduce courses on garbh sanskar focusing on maternal nutrition, foetal development and healthy pregnancies. She also called for campaigns against child marriage and gender discrimination.
A day earlier, at the convocation of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University in Lucknow, Patel advised students to become financially self-reliant before marriage. Clarifying that she was not opposed to love marriages, she urged young people to make informed decisions and stressed the need to improve teaching standards in government engineering colleges.
At Friday's convocation, CSJMU awarded degrees to 1,07,713 students. Women emerged as the top performers, securing nearly 82 per cent of the medals, while the university also introduced digital certificates for graduating students.
