Kovind praises Indian teachers, scholars on Teachers' Day
Sofia, Sep 5 : President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday praised teachers, scholars and academics for their contributions to making India a knowledge power.
On Teachers' Day, the President said: "I would like to pay tribute to India's teachers, scholars and academics. They have drawn from India's age-old traditions of learning and wisdom and have contributed to India's reputation as a knowledge power."
Kovind's remarks came during a speech on the theme of "Education as an instrument to shared prosperity' at Sofia University here.
"They (teachers) are a source of pride for India. Across continents, Indian scholarship and academic excellence is recognised. It adds to the global economy and knowledge structures - and it earns India goodwill."
Kovind said the focus of India's education system, knowledge production and broader social and economic efforts "is to secure a meaningful future for our younger generations, both in employment potential and in contributing to social well-being."
"Here Bulgaria and India, despite being so different, have common concerns and common aspirations," he said.
"About a quarter of Bulgaria's population is below the age of 25. In India, 65 per cent of our people are aged below 35. It is the dreams of these young people, people such as those who are here at this University, that drive our endeavours," he said.
The President said India would be happy to share its blueprints and its experiences with Bulgaria in terms of the Central European country's priorities.
"India has a massive network of 903 universities and 39,050 colleges," Kovind said, adding "close to 40 per cent of the universities and 80 per cent of the colleges are run by the private sector."
Earlier in the day, Kovind held talks with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev and participated in an India-Bulgaria Business Forum.
He arrived here on Tuesday from Cyprus on the second leg of his three-nation visit to Europe that will also take him to the Czech Republic.
This is the first presidential visit from India to Bulgaria in 15 years.
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Ladakh leaders welcome Wangchuk's release, demand others' freedom
New Delhi (PTI): Leaders from Ladakh on Saturday welcomed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk's release from Jodhpur jail and demanded the release of remaining detainees.
Wangchuk was released from prison on Saturday after the Union government revoked his detention with immediate effect.
Ladakh MP Mohamad Hanifa hailed his release and urged the government to accept their demands for statehood and protection under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
"We welcome the release of Sonam Wangchuk. But others also need to be released, and the government should also take back the cases filed against people who participated in the protests," Hanifa told PTI.
The Union Home Ministry, in its statement, commented on the law and order situation in the Union Territory.
"... prevailing atmosphere of bandhs and protests has been detrimental to the peace-loving character of the society and has adversely affected various sections of the community, including students, job aspirants, businesses, tour operators and tourists and overall economy," it said.
Hanifa, however, said protest is a Constitutional right, and urged the government to resolve the issue through dialogue.
"If our voice is not heard in any other way, then there is another way to protest. We have always protested peacefully from day one, and we believe in peaceful protests. This is to make our voice reach the government," he said.
"We have always said that we want a solution to these issues through dialogue," he said.
Kargil-based politician and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) member Sajjad Kargili, in a post on X, demanded the immediate release of Deldan Namgial and Smanla Dorjey, and appealed to the government to drop all charges against other detainees unconditionally.
"The revocation of NSA against Shri Sonam Wangchuk is a welcome move. However, our struggle of our legitimate rights continues," he said.
Wangchuk was detained on September 26, 2025, two days after protests over demands for statehood for Ladakh and its inclusion under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution rocked Leh.
More than 45 people, including 22 policemen, were injured in the protests.
