The North News
(Nainital) Uttarakhand, June 28
Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday called upon students to adopt selfless goals and put society and nation above personal ambition. Speaking at the 156th Founders’ Day celebration of Sherwood College in Nainital, Dhankhar urged the youth to live with purpose and national pride.
“Don’t have narrow, self-centred goals. Have a goal for society, for humanity, for the nation,” Dhankhar said, addressing students and faculty members. “We remember only those who gave back to society — who lived and worked for others.”
He urged the audience to internalise the motto of the school — Mereat Quisque Palmam (Let each one merit his prize) — not as a wall slogan, but as a life principle. “In lifting others, you rise yourself,” he said, encouraging students to help peers even if it means they surpass you.
Highlighting India’s civilisational legacy and current growth trajectory, Dhankhar said, “Bharat is no longer a country of potential — it is a nation on the rise. Its growth is continual, incremental, and now exponential.”
He pointed to India’s rapid economic development, calling the last decade “a decade of growth, infrastructure, and global repositioning,” and declared that the goal of a Viksit Bharat — a developed India — is not merely aspirational, but inevitable.
Dhankhar also emphasised the transformative power of education. “Education is a gift of God. It is the greatest equaliser. In a country of 1.4 billion, getting quality education makes you truly privileged,” he said. He stressed that equality and justice can only be meaningfully achieved through education.
In an appeal to parents, Dhankhar cautioned against imposing personal ambitions on children. “Don’t decide your child’s goals. If all children pursue only money and power, who will be our scientists, astronomers, or thought leaders?” he asked.
Reflecting on Sherwood College’s legacy, he invoked alumni like Major Som Nath Sharma, India’s first Param Vir Chakra recipient, and Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, who led India to victory in the 1971 war. He also referred to actor Amitabh Bachchan, highlighting his ethos: “Work is worship.”
Dhankhar closed by reminding students that nationalism should be embraced “without qualification,” saying India — with its 5,000-year-old civilisation — deserves unwavering commitment from its youth.
