Ahmedabad: Children should promote Indian
values of tolerance towards social diversity, former President
Pranab Mukherjee said today.
Being a better human being is more important than
excelling academically, he said, speaking at the 'Dr. A P J
Abdul Kalam IGNITE award' function.
"Academic excellence is important, but even more
important is to help children become a better human being.
They should promote Indian tolerance of social diversity and
try to ensure no one feels left behind," said Mukherjee, who
demited office in July.
"They should try to develop solutions which lead to
better environment, reduce or eliminate waste and make India a
clean, creative and collaborative society," he said.
Fifty six students from 16 states were awarded for
their 29 ideas and innovations at the event, organised by the
National Innovation Foundation-India at the NIF campus in
Amrapur village on the outskirts of Gandhinagar.
Mukherjee said he was impressed with several ideas of
school children on display at the exhibition.
"I appeal to all designers, fabricators, private
companies and engineers from leading institutions of our
country like IITs, NITs, NIDs, IISERs to come forward to
take the ideas of creative children to market through
commercial or social diffusion," he said.
Mukherjee said he was "very encouraged by the current
thrust of the Government of India to promote entrepreneurship
at all levels in society through a very vigorous start-up
movement in India".
Children must be encouraged to think originally about
inclusive development of the country, he said.
Referring to various ideas and innovations on display
at the exhibition, Mukherjee said he was "happy that the
government has stopped the old practice when school children
often presented the idea of their teachers, parents or even
outside designers as their own in science exhibitions".
PTI
