Dr Manmohan Singh addresses the students in Gandhinagar

Correspondent, Gandhinagar

Former Prime Minister and senior Congress leader Dr. Manmohan Singh today urged the student community to play ‘vital’ role in checking the menace of female foeticide/infanticide in the country.

Delivering a lecture on ‘Creative Role of Students in Future of India’ in the Bapu Gujarat Knowledge Village an institution in Vasan here run by Congress leader and former Chief Minister Shankersinh Vaghela, Dr. Singh said that today the country was facing a serious problem of gender ratio decline. ‘ The number of female per 1000 male has gone down to 943 in the country. The gender inequality was also reflected in the related index report of the UNDP according to which India with a score of 0.563 in 2014 was at 127 th place out of 146 countries,’ he said.

Dr. Singh said the student community can play a vital role in addressing this problem effectively.

Citing the contribution of students during the relief work after the devastating rain caused floods in Chennai, He also said that a vast number from student community played a laudable role and worked together with governmental and non-government bodies during the relief and rescue operations.

He said that there were innumerable examples of students contributing to imparting educations to slum children and in rural areas and working for adult education.
Urging the student community to leverage the technology for social causes he said, ‘ this is the era of technology. Science and technology are creating new opportunities and making such things possible which were even unthinkable some 20 years ago. With the help of technology students with there energy can create a system to provide basic education online and other such things.

The former prime minister also urged the students to work towards creating a more just. tolerant and equal society.

Dr. Singh earlier also inaugurated the new building of Samarpan Education and Research Campus near KH 7 circle here. He also handed over awards and trophies to meritorious students.

Mr. Vaghela and Congress state president Bharatsinh Solanki were also present on the occasion.

– DeshGujarat