Vadodara, Sep 23 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said India’s vision of becoming a developed nation by 2047 should go beyond economic advancement and include spiritual awakening, as she called for preparing a young generation equipped with skills, self-confidence, discipline and moral values.
Speaking at a Brahma Kumaris organisation’s programme in Vadodara, Murmu said India’s large young population could play a central role in nation-building if it directed its energy and talent toward constructive goals.
“Today, the youth have awakened. The dream of a developed India by 2047 is not only about economic development but also spiritual awakening. Today, the entire world is looking towards India,” she said.
Murmu said India had a population of around 1.4 billion and that 65 per cent of it was young. The country’s demographic strength, she said, made it important to focus on the overall development of young people.
She was speaking after the virtual launch of “Awakening Inner Strength for Nation Building”, a national initiative associated with the Brahma Kumaris’ programme in Nadiad.
The President said young people needed knowledge, technology and skills, but these had to be accompanied by qualities such as self-confidence, self-discipline, positive thinking, sensitivity and moral values.
“We have to prepare young people who are equipped with knowledge, technology and skills, while also being filled with self-confidence, self-discipline, positive thinking, sensitivity and moral values,” she said.
Murmu said youth were facing a rapidly changing environment, with the digital world, an abundance of information, intense competition, changing lifestyles, and shifting social expectations affecting their lives.
“The young generation has unlimited opportunities before it, but it also faces many challenges,” she said.
She said the response should include developing what she described as inner strength — self-awareness, concentration, emotional balance, positive thinking and self-discipline.
“Therefore, developing inner strength among them — that is, self-awareness, self-confidence, concentration, emotional balance, a positive outlook and self-discipline — is important,” she said.
Murmu linked this process with the broader objective of nation-building, saying an awakened and conscious youth could channel its talent, energy and values towards building a developed India.
“When young people give a positive direction to their thoughts, emotions and actions, their families, workplaces, communities feel its impact and ultimately the entire nation,” she said.
She also referred to the legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, whose examples of nation-building, she said, continue to inspire young people in particular.
The President said India’s spiritual heritage could be combined with modern science, technology and new ideas to create a broader development model.
“India has given the world great life philosophies such as yoga, meditation, non-violence, compassion and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” she said.
Murmu said this heritage could be integrated with the requirements of modern life and India’s development priorities.
“Our goal should be to build an India that is economically prosperous, scientifically powerful, socially inclusive and spiritually awakened,” she said.
The event also marked the Brahma Kumaris’ completion of 90 years of their spiritual journey and the launch of the organisation’s 2026 national theme, “Spiritual Awakening for World Renewal”.
–IANS
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