News Round-up : 1,000 days of mega walkathon

The Bharat Parikrama Yatra completed 1,000 days on May 5, 2015. It is in Tejpur district of Assam now. Aiming at upliftment of village life, the Yatra, led by former RSS Akhil Bharatiya Sewa Pramukh Shri Sitaram Kedialya, has covered over 12,150 kilometers distance. The Yatra had begun on August 9, 2012 from Kanyakumari.
RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat congratulated Shri Kedilaya on successful completion of 1,000 days. In his message on April 30, Shri Bhagwat said, “He began his tour after obtaining the darshan of Sripada Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari and since then has been walking every day on barefoot and has covered the Western Ghats, Western Coastline, the western land border up to Kashmir and the northern border areas. He has travelled through the villages of the Terai region in the Himalayas and thus having walked for a complete 1,000 days has now reached Assam in the East. Completing this 1,000 days arduous tour as per the set intentions and the effort put, is in itself an achievement worthy of all accolades. There is no doubt whatsoever that he will successfully tour Bharat’s east and south-east regions and complete the rest of the parikrama.
“This humongous effort of Sitaramji is not just to walk barefoot and create yet another world record. It is for Aatmanomokshartham jagat hitaya cha (for one’s own salvation and for the welfare of the world). During his tours he intermingled with the villagers and has educated them as to how they can live a life based on the unity of cattle, village and nature according to the eternal and ever evolving culture of Bharat, even during the conditions faced today. He has also guided many villages to implement lifestyles based on Dharmic principles of truth and virtue. This is a very timely and apt solution for the problems our society is facing today and for the deteriorating human values. Our well wishes are always with Shri Sitaramji and we are confident that he will complete the rest of the tour successfully as determined. It is imperative on every karyakarta and citizens who reside along the route of the tour that they support and assist him but it is also everyone’s duty to promote and spread the tour’s message which is ‘wellbeing of all by inculcating and practicing the message in totality. I pray that each one of us acquire the wisdom and strength to accomplish this task and I again express my good wishes to Shri Sitaramji for the fruitful and successful completion of his tour.” —VSK Karnataka

Education not just to earn, but to perform dharma —Mohan Bhagwat

“For a person, education is not a path for earning bread, it is to make a person Vishwambhar, a person who performs and protects the values of dharma throughout his life. This should be the purpose of education,” said RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat at Channenahalli near Bengaluru on April 30. He was addressing a gathering after performing bhoomipujan for a new hostel building of Janaseva Vidyakendra. Shri Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji of Adichunchanagiri Math said apart from focusing on making a building taller, we should also focus upon raising the personality of an individual. Shri YK Raghavendra Rao, Trustee of Janaseva Vishwastha Mandali, industrialist Srinivas Gupta, Shri Subbaram Shetty, president of Janaseva Vidyakendra, also shared the dais. Janaseva Vidyakendra was founded in 1970.  —VSK Karnataka

Sevika Samiti training camp in Chennai
The first year 15 day training camp of Rashtra Sevika Samiti Uttar Tamil Nadu Prant began in Chennai on May 4. Smt Charumathi Ashok welcomed the gathering. Smt Rama Manian, inaugurated the Varga by lighting the lamp. Former Principal of Vivekananda Vidyalaya Ambattur Smt Dharani spoke on the occasion. Quoting the inspirations from the life of Jijabai, Sharada Devi, Sumithra she appealed to the shikshaartis to make their mind to have ‘will’ to serve the society. Samiti has shakhas in 24 countries and in India, there are 1,132 shakhas. In Tamil Nadu, there are 112 shakhas. In the varga, 108 girls are undergoing training. n

Student not teacher be the focus of curriculum

Shaikshik Manthan Sansthan Jaipur organised a day-long seminar on May 3 to discuss the curriculum for secondary education. Inaugurating the seminar Prof JP Singhal, vice president of the Sansthan, said the focus of the curriculum should be the student and not the teacher. He said education should be imparted in totality and not in the pieces. Education should be based on Indian roots but it should highlight the innovations also equally.
Prof Nand Kishore Pandey said the emphasis should be made on national values. He also said to pay proper attention to the grammar. An exclusive session was devoted to discuss the innovations in education. The experts said the curriculum should be prepared keeping in view the capacity of the students. Focus was also made on yoga education.
President of the Sansthan Dr Vimal Prasad Agrawal stressed the need to develop character of the students so that they become responsible citizens of the nation. He also said that training of skill development should also be adequately focused.

Women should realise their duties—Malati Sharma

Matri Sammelans are being organised all over the country by Durga Vahini and Matrishakti to celebrate golden jubilee of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. Addressing a Sammelan in Delhi on May 3 Smt Malati Sharma, Uttar Kshetra convener of Matrishakti said today everyone talks about women rights but none talks about the real strength of the women. The glorious words like Behan, Patni, Dadi, Nani, Mami, Bua etc are vanishing from the vogue. She stressed the need to protect the values. On this occasion women also took pledge to protect the national values. The Sammelan was organised in New Ashok Nagar of East Delhi and also Greater Kailash-2 in South Delhi.n

Teachers should lead in revising education system —Indumati Katdare

“Education deeply influences the individual, society, nation and the system. We all know that the present education system is faulty and needs immediate relook. I feel the teachers should take a lead in this regard,” said Sushri Indumati Katdare, convener of the Punrutthan Vidyapeeth Ahmedabad. She was addressing a gathering of educationists in Jodhpur in May 4. The lecture was jointly organised by Maru Vichar Manch and Vishwavidyalaya and Mahavidyalaya Shikshak Sangh at Lachu College. The topic of the lecture was “Concept of education in India and the role of the teachers”.
Sushri Katadare expressed concern over the growing westernisation and commercialisation of education, which has deviated from knowledge. She stressed the need to connect education to Indian roots and also to the religious scriptures.