President stress on spiritual development

The country needs to focus on spiritual development along with academic excellence to regain lost values and traditions, President Pranab Mukherjee said on Sunday.

The President was speaking at the fourth Annual Convocation Ceremony of Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya at Haridwar.

"Striving for spiritual development along with academic excellence is the right approach to regain lost values and traditions in this age," he said.

Also, emphasising on education, Mukherjee said it adds value to a person, and value-based education "equips us to contribute in a meaningful way to our society".

The President said that it is the growth of education in India that is one of the key factors responsible for India's resilience.

"Therefore, it is indisputable that education through which the country builds intellectual capital is of singular importance to any individual, society or nation," he said.

The President said that at the macro level, education nurtures nation building and at the micro level it fosters character building.

He stated that he had a great faith in the philosophy and culture of Indian civilization and believed that the road to progress should be strengthened by harmonizing such values.