Hello Guys It’s Sports Day

I feel it a great pleasure to participate as Chief Guest in the 20th Annual-cum-Sports Day of Akal Academy Baru Sahib here today. Today’s world is very competitive. Mere education will not suffice. Education combined with good, moral character and knowledge with proficiency in sports and extra curricular activities is necessary. Education ignites the minds of youth and it should be knowledge-based and should kindle the thinking process in the youth. Educating more and more rural youth is essential. It should reach the unreached. Qualitative improvement in education suited to the changing scenario is warranted.Education is a continuous process and starts right from childhood and gradually makes one a leader. It is he teacher who nurtures good conduct and character amongst students. Real education moulds the youth into useful citizens of tomorrow. Inculcating discipline and moral values in the students are necessary. The onerous responsibility of shaping the youth rests with the teachers. The teachers should stand as role models for the students. The teachers are like Gurus and are next to God. The Gurukul form of education was prevalent in earlier days.There were lot of restrictions on students and strict discipline was maintained. The Gurus were above all in the society and they received great respect. Now the residential schools provide various avenues for learning. All subjects are taught and students are involved in various extra curricular activities also. Sports is recreation and the joy of participation, developing skills, regular practice and hard work that makes one to excel in sports. Taking to extra curricular activities is a must for students. It helps one to develop good physique, reduces stress and develops the quality of team spirit.Learning self-confidence, goal-setting and time management are the necessary for a sports person. Concentrate on sports. Rigorous practice and dedication will help you to win laurels to your institution, state a nd the nation. The physical education teachers and the educational institutions should take it as their bounden duty to identify talents from the students and put them to special coaching. Starting of exclusive sports schools as in US and UK should also be considered. I am sure that by starting sports schools, we can produce many talented sportspersons, who can compete at the global level and in Olympics.I am sure that the Kalgidhar Trust/Society would formulate plans to further improve sports in this complex. I congratulate all the students who have won prizes in various events. Sant Attar Singh Ji and Sant Teja Singh Ji were both extremely dedicated persons. Sant Attar Singh founded many educational institutions in rural areas in Punjab and also Akal College, Mastuana. He sent Sant Teja Singh to foreign countries for higher education and learning and after coming back he dedicated his life for imparting quality education to the needy. This institution was also started according to their wishes.My mother told me that Sant Ji used to perform Kirtan in a loud voice, which could be heard half a mile away as there were no loud-speakers in those days. He was invited to lay the foundation of the Hindu University, Banaras by Pandit Madan Mohan Malavia. This place is blessed by such great saints and that is why the Baru Sahib Academy, which was started in 1986 with just 5 students, now has strength of 23,000 students studying in its 22 CBSE affiliated Secondary schools. I congratulate the Akal Academies established by The Kalgidhar Trust for yeoman service to the society and to the spread of education.It is heartening to note that the Kalgidhar Trust and the Society are working with a mission to establish a permanent peace in the world through the synthesis of value-based scientific education and moral rejuvenation creating good global citizens. Guru Nanak Dev Ji was a great enlightener and a teacher. Guru Nanak’s concern with the right conduct of individuals and society and social responsibilities, is of universal significance. The educational institutions and the teachers are bestowed with the responsibility of producing students with good conduct and character.Service to poor is service to God. I am pleased to learn that The Kalgidhar Trust, a non-profit charitable organization has dedicated itself in the promotion of quality education and in creation of future citizens with good conduct and character and committed towards society. The services rendered by the Kalgidhar Trust/Society towards spiritual upliftment of the underprivileged and in primary health care in rural areas in North India and its dedication towards upliftment of the socio-economic status of rural poor is laudable.Health is the prime wealth for a nation and various welfare schemes are implemented by the Central and State Governments to take care of the health of the people. NGOs provide a helping hand in providing healthcare and in creation of awareness on health and hygiene. I congratulate the Kalgidhar Trust & Society for its dedicated efforts to improve basic healthcare through better immunization, child and maternal healthcare, establishing de-addiction centers and by taking out preventive and curative measures to control diseases and for working with a mission to provide healthcare to the underprivileged.The services rendered by the Trust to HIV and AIDS affected persons, through ‘One Stop Centers’ is laudable. A nation develops when there is explosion of knowledge and by development of education. As students, your contribution is vital. Aim high in life. Set your goals. Work hard to achieve them. This is what your parents, your teachers and the institution expect from you.I am pleased to learn that the Kalgidhar Trust and Society’s vision is to create high caliber students with all-round excellence, beyond academic dimensions and to provide more such students and to enable the underprivileged to attain this distinction . I convey my warm felicitations to Baba Iqbal Singh Ji, Dr. Khem Singh, who are experts in their own fields and to all the office-bearers and members of the Kalgidhar Trust and Society, the principal, teachers, staff and students on the 20th Annual-cum-Sports Day and wish The Kalgidhar Trust and Akal Academy all success in its endeavors. Jai Hind