President lauds Karnataka people for giving back to society
Bengaluru: Lauding Karnataka for its rich legacy of culture and knowledge, President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday said the people of the southern state are public-spirited citizens and known for giving back to society.
"The attributes of serving the cause of education and giving back to society are typical of the people of this state," Kovind said at the centenary celebrations of the National Education Society in the city.
Noting that the Society's National High School had gifted distinguished citizens to the country, the President said its alumni included ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar, former Chief Justice of India M.N. Venkatachalaiah, eminent cricketer Anil Kumble and former state Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, among others.
"The century-old Society, set up by freedom fighter Annie Besant, runs several educational institutions, including the National High School," said Kovind in his address to the students and faculty on the occasion.
Eminent scientist Bharat Ratna C.N.R. Rao and Kannada actor Ramesh Aravind are among the alumni of the illustrious school.
Mahatma Gandhi had visited the school in 1936 and praised its student H. Narasimhaiah for translating his Hindi speeches into Kannada for the local audience.
The President also praised the Adamya Chetana Foundation for providing mid-day meals to about 100,000 children daily across the state through its Annapurna project.
"Mid-day meal promotes education because less well-off make an effort to send their children to school. It's the most nutritious and wholesome meal a child from a poor family gets," said Kovind.
He also unveiled the Adamya Chetana Seva Utsav 2018 on the occasion.
The President later visited the new campus of Amruta Institute of Engineering and Management Sciences (AIEMS) in Bidadi in Ramanagara district, about 40km southwest of Bengaluru.
The AIEMS is an institute of the Basaveshwara Veerashyva Vidyavardaka (B.V.V.) Sangha Bagalkot, which is celebrating its 111th year.
Speaking to the student gathering, Kovind advised them to seek a wider and enlightened understanding of the value of education.
"Education is not simply about reading textbooks, but the true measure of education is in how a student can give back to the society," Kovind reiterated.
Calling present times an "era of entrepreneurship", the President said the students must not just be job-seekers but also job creators.
"Students and graduates must take forward our country's and Karnataka's innovation and start-up culture," he said.
Earlier in the day, the President also took part in the 22nd convocation of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in the city.
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Motivational speaker Sonu Sharma slams govt, Supreme Court over Aravalli Hills order
Says If Aravalli falls, our future falls
New Delhi: Motivational speaker and life coach Sonu Sharma has strongly criticised the Narendra Modi-led central government and the Supreme Court over recent developments related to the Aravalli Hills, warning that the decisions could have long-term consequences for North India’s environment and air quality.
In a video posted on social media, Sharma questioned the logic behind treating parts of the Aravalli range measuring less than 100 metres in height as non-mountains, a position that has emerged from recent legal interpretations. Without naming specific judgments, Sharma said such reasoning effectively strips large portions of the ancient mountain range of legal protection and opens the door for large-scale mining.
The Aravalli range, considered one of the oldest mountain systems in the world, plays a crucial role in checking desertification, regulating climate and acting as a natural barrier against dust storms from the Thar desert. Environmentalists have long warned that continued degradation of the Aravallis could worsen air pollution in cities such as Delhi and accelerate ecological damage across Rajasthan, Haryana and the National Capital Region.
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In the video, Sharma argued that redefining mountains based on arbitrary height criteria amounts to legitimising environmental destruction. He compared it to denying basic human identity based on physical attributes, calling the approach illogical and dangerous. He claimed that in Rajasthan alone, nearly 12,000 peaks are part of the Aravalli system, and that only around 1,000 of them exceed 100 metres, leaving the vast majority vulnerable to legal mining activity.
Sharma also took aim at a televised statement by senior news anchor Rajat Sharma, who had said that Delhi’s pollution gets trapped because the city is shaped like a bowl surrounded by the Aravalli Hills. Sharma rejected the argument that the Aravallis are responsible for pollution, instead describing them as the “lungs of North India” whose destruction is aggravating the crisis.
Without directly naming the court, Sharma said institutions were issuing orders without understanding environmental realities. His remarks have been widely interpreted as a criticism of the Supreme Court’s recent stance on the Aravalli Hills, which has drawn concern from environmental groups who fear it may weaken safeguards against mining.
The video has gained significant traction online, given Sharma’s large following of over five million followers on Instagram and more than 13 million subscribers on YouTube. Many users echoed his concerns, saying unchecked mining and construction in the Aravallis would worsen water scarcity, air pollution and desertification.
Sharma ended his message with a call to protect the Aravalli range, warning that continued neglect would have irreversible consequences. “If the Aravalli falls, our future will also fall,” he said, urging citizens to speak up against policies and orders that, in his view, prioritise development over environmental survival.
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