New Delhi:

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said illegal migrants pose a security threat to the country, asserting that such people can never get wedded to our nationalism.

Addressing a group of Rajya Sabha interns in Delhi, Vice President Dhankhar said such people are a threat to India’s democracy because they are “trying to influence our electoral system”.

“They are also a threat to our societal harmony, to our nation’s security,” an official statement said, quoting the Vice President.

“We have to see the challenges. The challenge to the nation is (that) millions of illegal migrants are living in our land. Is it not a challenge to our sovereignty? Such kind of people will never be wedded to our nationalism,” he said.

“They use our resources of health, education, and other facilities. They engage in jobs meant for our people. I expect everyone in the government to take a severe look at this. This problem and resolution of it cannot be delayed even by a day. How can a nation suffer illegal migrants in millions,” Vice President Dhankhar said.

Millions of illegal migrants are living in our land.

How can a nation suffer illegal migrants in millions? Is it not a challenge to our sovereignty?

Such kind of people will never be wedded to our nationalism. They use our resources of health, education, and other facilities,… pic.twitter.com/SzHilhyXQR

— Vice-President of India (@VPIndia) January 27, 2025

Drawing attention to the enlarging basket of opportunities for the youth, the Vice President said people of the country have tasted development for the first time because they now have a toilet in their house, a gas connection in the kitchen, access to the internet, road connectivity, and air connectivity.

Bengaluru:

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday said dharma is the most fundamental concept of Indian culture, guiding all aspects of life and that inequities have no place in a society governed by dharma.

Dharma represents both the path, the passage as also the destination and the goal, applying to all spheres of existence including divine beings and serves as a practical rather than utopian ideal for righteous living, he said.

“Sanatana stands for empathy, sympathy, compassion, tolerance, non-violence, virtuosity, sublimity, religiosity and all these converge in one word, inclusivity,” he added.

Addressing the gathering at the ‘Namah Shivaya’ Parayan organised by Sringeri Sri Sharada Peetham as part of their Suvarna Bharati Mahotsava here, Mr Dhankhar described “Mantra Cosmopolis” as a rare and spectacular event that resonates deeply, engaging the mind, heart, and soul, with everyone in harmony.

He emphasised that Vedic chanting, one of humanity’s most ancient and continuous oral traditions, serves as a living link to our ancestor’s profound spiritual wisdom. The precise rhythms, intonations, and vibrations of these sacred mantras create a powerful resonance that brings mental peace and environmental harmony.

“The systematic structure of Vedic verses and the intricate recitation rules reflect the scientific sophistication of ancient scholars. This tradition, preserved without written records, demonstrates the remarkable capacity of Indian culture to transmit knowledge orally across generations, with each syllable meticulously articulated in mathematical harmony,” he stated.

He emphasised that Indian culture’s defining feature is its unity in diversity, created through the blending of various traditions over time. This journey has instilled values of humility and non-violence. India stands unparalleled in its inclusiveness, representing all of humanity with a sense of unity.

“The divine essence of Indian culture lies in its universal compassion, encapsulated in the philosophy of “VasudhaivaKutumbakam,” he said.

Referring to attempts made by “bigotry minds” in the past, the Vice-President said, “All kinds of efforts were made to run down our culture, taint and tarnish our heritage and destroy our moral fabric by some bigoted minds. The nation has survived because our culture is indestructible.” 

Recognising Adi Shankaracharya’s role in unifying and strengthening Indian culture through his easily comprehensible teachings, Mr Dhankhar said, “We owe a great debt to Adi Shankaracharya Ji for revival of timeless traditions of Indian spirituality and philosophy.” Noting that pursuit of wealth should not be reckless or self-centered, he said if creation of wealth is harmonised with human welfare, it purifies the conscience and gives happiness.

He also stressed that business ethics must be aligned with spiritual principles, keeping in mind that Dharma is wedded to fairness to all, equitable behaviour to all, equality for all.

“In a society governed by dharma, there is no room for inequities,” he added. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar said he was “deeply pained” by the passing away of Ratan Tata and described him a man of deep commitment and compassion.

Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons, passed away on Wednesday evening at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai.

Offering his condolences, V-P Dhankhar said in a post on X that he was deeply pained by the passing away of Ratan Tata.

“A towering figure of Indian industry, whose contributions towards building a self-reliant Bharat will forever be an inspiration to entrepreneurs in India and beyond,” the post mentioned.

Deeply pained by the passing away of Shri Ratan Tata Ji- a towering figure of Indian industry, whose contributions towards building a self-reliant Bharat will forever be an inspiration to entrepreneurs in India and beyond.

A man of deep commitment and compassion, his…

— Vice-President of India (@VPIndia) October 9, 2024

“A man of deep commitment and compassion, his philanthropic contributions and the humility he embodied aptly reflect the ethos he embraced. As ‘the legend’ of indian industry leaves behind a lasting legacy, Bharat would miss him very dearly,” Mr Dhankhar said in his tributes, referrring to his philnanthropic works.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Thursday night that the last rites of industrialist Ratan Tata will be performed with full state honours.

CM Shinde said that mortal remains of Ratan Tata will be kept at NCPA from 10 am to 4 pm on Thursday for people to pay their respect.

The mortal remains of the business tycoon, were brought to his residence in Colaba on the early hours of Thursday.

The Maharashtra government cancelled all programmes scheduled for Thursday in Mumbai as a mark of respect to the late industrialist.

“All the programs of the state government in Mumbai have been cancelled for tomorrow, due to the death of industrialist Ratan Tata,” Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar told reporters in Mumbai.

Ratan N Tata was among India’s most respected and loved industralists, who took Tata Group to new heights and touched the fabric of the nation through his contributions across different areas including philanthropy.

Mr Tata, born on December 28, 1937, in Mumbai, is the Chairman of Ratan Tata Trust and Dorabji Tata Trust, two of the largest private-sector-promoted philanthropic trusts in India. He was the Chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, from 1991 until his retirement in 2012. Then he was appointed Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons.

He was honoured with the country’s second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2008.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jaipur:

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday underlined the importance of women education, saying the dream of a developed India was incomplete without women and education.

“Women and education are the two wheels of the chariot that will drive the nation,” Mr Dhankhar said while interacting with the students and teachers at the India International School in Jaipur.

“Education is the biggest leveller in society and it brings equality and it is a necessity for democracy to flourish in any society. Education brings about equality, education cuts into inequities,” he added.

Mr Dhankhar said, “If we look into our Vedas, great emphasis was laid on education and participation of women. We lost our way somewhere in between.” The vice president said that during the Vedic era, women were on the same footing and were policy and decision makers and were guiding forces.

He also praised the recently enacted Women Reservation Bill that mandates one third reservation in Parliament and state legislatures.

Underlining India as the most happening place globally in terms of investment and opportunity, he stated, “The country has seen historic exponential development, economic upsurge unknown to us. The world class infrastructure, our opportunity basket is increasing day by day.” Lauding the National Education Policy, the vice president said there can be no change without education.

He said that education has to be beyond degree.

“Pursuit of degrees one after another is not the right approach to education and that is why after three decades the country came to have a national education policy that allows students full exploitation of their talent,” he added.

Drawing attention to the equal application of law in the country, Mr Dhankhar said, “Equality before law, provided by the Constitution, had eluded us for long, some people thought they are more equal than others, some thought we are beyond the reach of the law, we are above the law but a big change that has taken place is equality before law is now a ground reality.” He also said that there was transparency in the system during the present government’s rule.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday said there is a need to hit hard at subtle discrimination against women and urged the “male society” to change its mindset before it is too late.

He also condemned the rape-murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata and said people must condemn remarks that the incident was of “symptomatic malaise”.

Addressing the News 18 She Shakti Conclave 2024 in Delhi, the vice president said after the women’s reservation law comes into force, more women will be part of decision-making and governance.

There will be less disturbance and disruptions (in Parliament and state legislatures), he said.

People who term women as the weaker sex are wrong, he asserted and said women empowerment will be boosted by women themselves.

Mr Dhankhar was of the view that education cuts into inequality. “Gender discrimination has vanished but has assumed certain forms. Overt discrimination can be fought but not subtle discrimination. We have to hit it hard,” he asserted.

“Male society”, the vice president said, has to change the mindset before it is too late.

Referring to the Kolkata case, he said “We must be firmly dismissive and contemptuous of insane thoughts of the kind that belittle barbarity of rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata while in hospital on duty.

“Someone calls it a symptomatic malaise. What a shame. Our hearts should bleed,” he said in an apparent reference to purported Supreme Court Bar Association resolution in which senior lawyer Kapil Sibal reportedly described the rape-murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata as a “symptomatic malaise”.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Bharat is rising as never before, it is unstoppable and is slated to become Viksit even ahead of 2047, said Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday.

He was speaking at the 12th Convocation of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) – Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

“This century belongs to Bharat. We do not doubt it because Bharat is on the rise as never before and the rise is unstoppable. The rise is incremental,” VP Dhankhar said.

“Personally for me, I think Bharat will be Viksit Bharat ahead of 2047. I do not doubt it.”

He called the students “important stakeholders, the driving force” behind India’s successful journey towards 2047.

Lauding the scientific community, the VP said, “There is hardly any technological gap between Bharat and the most developed nations.”

Further, he cited technological advancement in the country, like the Lithium-ion battery developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) which can be useful in the development of the electric vehicle ecosystem in the country.

“The government has taken the initiative with respect to certain minerals to put them in the private sector and that is why we are engaged with Lithium,” VP Dhankhar informed.

He also stressed the importance of disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, and blockchain which “are both opportunities and challenges.”

On quantum computing machines, VP Dhankhar said, “India is among the few countries in the world where allocation has been made for 6,000 crore.”

“Our green hydrogen mission with a commitment of 80,000 crore and has the potential to generate 6 lakh jobs investment of 8 lakh crores. We have enough,” he said.

VP Dhankhar stated that the days of conventional warfare are gone. Instead “intellectual and technological innovations emerging from our laboratories” will determine India’s “position and geo-political strength”.

He stressed the importance of investing in technological advancement to secure boundaries.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

 Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among a host of prominent leaders who wished President Droupadi Murmu a long and healthy life on her 66th birthday on Thursday.

Scores of citizens and various leaders took to microblogging platform ‘X’ to wish President Murmu, while some dignitaries called on her at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

“On my birthday, I am delighted to receive warm wishes from fellow citizens. Your love and bonding is a source of energy and inspiration for me. I express my thankfulness and wish everyone a bright future,” the president said on X.

On my birthday, I am delighted to receive warm wishes from fellow citizens. Your love and bonding is a source of energy and inspiration for me. I express my thankfulness and wish everyone a bright future.

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) June 20, 2024

She started her day by visiting the Lord Jagannath temple in Delhi where she prayed for the welfare of all citizens.

“Jai Jagannath! Today I visited the Jagannath temple in Delhi and prayed for the welfare of all countrymen and also (wished) that our country continues to set new standards of progress,” the president’s office said in another post on X, in Hindi, along with pictures of the visit.

President Murmu was born on June 20, 1958 at Uparbeda village in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj. She was sworn in as the country’s 15th President on July 25, 2022.

In his birthday greetings to President Murmu, Prime Minister Modi said the president’s “wisdom and emphasis on serving the poor and marginalised are a strong guiding force”.

“Warm birthday wishes to Rashtrapati Ji. Her exemplary service and dedication to our nation inspire us all. Her wisdom and emphasis on serving the poor and marginalised are a strong guiding force,” Modi said in a post on X.

“Her life journey gives hope to crores of people. India will always be grateful to her for her tireless efforts and visionary leadership. May she be blessed with a long and healthy life,” he added.

“Vice President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar along with his wife Dr Sudesh Dhankhar called on President Droupadi Murmu and conveyed birthday greetings to the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan,” read another post on X by her office.

Earlier in the day, the president had visited Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Institute for Persons with Physical Disabilities in New Delhi where she spent time with ‘Divyang’ (diffrently-abled) children, students and witnessed a cultural performance by them.

President Murmu also visited the renovated Prosthesis and Orthosis Centre here and interacted with patients.

She also inaugurated MITTI cafe, which is managed by differently-abled people, in the President’s Estate. She spent time in the cafe and celebrated her birthday with the staff.

MITTI is an award winning non-profit organisation that provides employment and experiential training to adults with physical, intellectual, and psychiatric disabilities.

The MITTI cafe is a movement towards an inclusive society where everyone, regardless of their abilities, has the opportunity to thrive and contribute.

The non-profit organisation is creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for persons with disabilities and creating awareness about disability through cafes, community meals and skill development initiatives, the president’s secretariat said.

President Murmu also interacted with children of President’s Estate who had participated in summer camp and art workshops organised in Rashtrapati Bhavan during their vacation.

Former president Ram Nath Kovind along with his family members met President Murmu and conveyed birthday greetings to her.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Odisha Governor Raghubar Das and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, along with Ministers of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary and Sukanta Majumdar, also called on President Murmu to wish her.

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and his spouse, Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh along with Minister of State for Textiles Pabitra Margherita and Minister of State for Rural Development, Kamlesh Paswan also met the president at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar has written to engineer-turned-philanthropist Sudha Murty congratulating her on her nomination to the Rajya Sabha.

Mr Dhankhar, who is ex-officio chairman of the Upper House, exuded confidence that Murty will effectively utilise her cross-cultural experiences in the hallowed precincts of the temple of democracy.

“Congratulations on your nomination to the Council of States, reflecting the resolute faith and confidence in your spirit of public service. My best wishes for success in this constitutional responsibility. I am confident that you will avail this opportunity to effectively utilize cross-cultural experiences in the hallowed precincts of temple of democracy,” Mr Dhankhar said in the letter.

“I look forward to working with you, leveraging your rich knowledge and domain expertise, in legislative proceedings through wholesome debate, discussion and deliberation. May your term be characterized by growth, progress and memorable experiences that exemplify discipline and decorum worth emulation and admiration,” he added.

Ms Murty, 73, took oath as Rajya Sabha MP on March 14.

The former chairperson of Infosys Foundation and the author of several books, mostly for children, was nominated to the Rajya Sabha on International Women’s Day.

She is also renowned for her contribution to Kannada and English literature and is a recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar, the Padma Shri (2006) and the Padma Bhushan (2023).

Ms Murty, who was the first woman engineer to have worked with TELCO, is famously known to have provided the seed capital of ₹10,000 from her emergency funds to her husband N R Narayana Murthy to start Infosys, which now has a market cap of over USD 80 billion.

Her daughter Akshata is married to British Prime Minister Rishi Suna

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)