New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Vice-President C.P. Radhakrishnan will motivate bureaucrats and budding forest service officers during his two-day visit to Uttarakhand starting on Wednesday, an official said on Tuesday.

Radhakrishnan will be the chief guest at the valedictory ceremony of Phase-II of the IAS Professional Course for the 2024 batch at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) at Mussoorie on Thursday, an official statement said.

During his visit to the academy, the Vice-President will also pay floral tributes to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and former Prime Minister late Lal Bahadur Shastri.

On the first day of his state visit, Vice-President Radhakrishnan will arrive at the Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy (IGNFA) at Dehradun, where he will address and interact with Indian Forest Service (IFS) probationers of the 2025–27 batch, the statement said.

Earlier, addressing students at the 11th Convocation of Central University of Tamil Nadu in Thiruvarur, the Vice-President said that knowledge alone is not sufficient; lifelong learning, innovation and adaptability are essential for the future.

He urged the graduates to “become creators rather than consumers of knowledge, innovators rather than imitators, and leaders rather than followers”.

Referring to the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, recently passed by the Parliament, the Vice-President said that preventing unfair means in examinations and protecting the interests of students are of paramount importance.

Recalling his tenure as Governor of Jharkhand, Vice-President Radhakrishnan said that a similar Bill had been passed by the Jharkhand government during his tenure, and as the then Governor he had signed it immediately, enabling it to become law.

“Bad elements in society must be punished to protect the interests of good people,” he said, emphasising the need for strong measures to safeguard the integrity and fairness of public examinations.

At a separate event to mark Ruby and Silver Jubilee valedictory celebrations of SASTRA deemed university at its campus in Thanjavur, the Vice-President said that public examination reform reflects the Union government’s commitment to a fair and transparent system for the youth.

Vice-President Radhakrishnan appreciated the education policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing them as “revolutionary” and “progressive”.

He said that National Education Policy, 2020, is a guiding pillar for educational progress at all levels, from KG to Ph.D.

He expressed confidence that India would increase its Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education from the present 30 per cent to the targeted 50 per cent by 2035.

“Through several measures, the Central government is building a self-reliant ecosystem capable of developing sovereign technological capabilities while driving socio-economic growth through the manufacturing and services sectors,” he said.

–IANS

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