Tribal Students in Republic Day: Union Minister for Tribal Affairs; Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Arjun Munda hosted over 550 tribal students from far flung regions of the country, who were invited as Special guests on India’s 75th Republic Day, at his residence in New Delhi today.
These IX and X standard students are beneficiaries of Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme being implemented by the Ministry. On this occasion, Shri Munda thanked Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for inviting the tribal children to witness the Republic Day Celebrations in person, at Kartavya Path in the National Capital.
Addressing the students, Shri Munda noted the diversity among the students assembled in Delhi from different States and called the gathering a ‘Mini India’. The Minister encouraged them to intermingle and learn about each other’s States, their cultures and traditions. He said that this is the best example of Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.
Encouraging the students to make the best use of the Ministry’s scholarship schemes in shaping their future Shri Munda said, “You are the future leaders and the ones who will shape our country’s destiny to achieve Prime Minister’s vision of Viksit Bharat in the Amrit Kaal”. He noted that a Nation can progress only if its youth is sincere and educated. Education is the key to success as it opens doors to many opportunities. The Minister asked the students to resolve to give the benefit of the opportunity they have got, back to the country. “You should continue to develop your personality through continuous pursuit of knowledge because your success is the success of the country”, he added.
Shri Munda further informed the students about the Rs 24,000 crore PM-JANMAN Mission, which under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has sanctioned 1 lakh pucca houses, 1207 kilometers of approach roads, tap water supply to 1830 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) settlements, 100 mobile medical units, 100 hostels for tribal students, among others, within just 2 months of its launch. He added that the PM-JANMAN Mission is an excellent example of the ‘Whole of Government’ approach of the Government of India towards ensuring holistic development of the tribal people.
On the occasion, Secretary (Tribal Affairs) Shri Vibhu Nayar interacted with the students and asked them about their experiences during their first visit to the National Capital. During his address, the Secretary encouraged the students to share their experiences, learnings and inspirations taken from the visit with their fellow students and also to educate them about various schemes that the Government of India is implementing for the all-round development of the tribal people, especially the youth.
Additional Secretary (Tribal Affairs), Shri Navaljit Kapoor, gave details of the activities organised for the visiting students including meetings with President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, besides a visit to historical monuments and joy ride on the Delhi metro, among others.
Expressing their gratitude for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the students thanked the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for the support being provided to them for their education and also for giving opportunity to witness the 75th Republic Day Parade at Kartavya Path in New Delhi. They also expressed happiness at the huge opportunity to meet the President and Prime Minister of India.
