Patil inaugurates Global Indian International School in Pune

Pune, Aug 18 (UNI) Having made tremendous strides in every field especially science, education, infotech, engineering and medical science, India is certainly destined to become a world power by 2020 opined Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil.

Mr Patil was addressing the gathering after formally inaugurating Global Indian International School, along with the Gandhi Center for Values and Thoughts here today.

The school is set up by Global Indian Foundation (GIF), a non-profit foundation based in Singapore in association with the Goel Ganga Group. It has established schools in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, New Zealand, Thailand and will now open serch schools in India.

Mr Patil, who also holds the Home portfoilo, emphasised on the need of the rich legacy of Gandhian philosophy, values and teaching to the younger generation besides pursuing the high quality education. It will certainly enrich the nation in achieving the goal of becoming a ''world power'' by 2020.

He said Mahatma Gandhi was the guiding force to overthrow the shackles of yolk of the British Empire, gaining independence and thus paving the way for India to be the biggest ''democracy'' in the world through its secularism and unity in diversity.

Touching upon the education imparted by the municipal and the Zilla Parishad schools, he said, ''If we have to compete with the best, then there is no other way but to make available the high quality and modern education to students so that they will take the country to the most sought after goal of becoming a world power by 2020.'' The Mahatma Gandhi Center for Values and Thoughts has been established in the school to inculcate Gandhian values and principles in order to build a firm foundation among the students, he said.

Earlier, retired Justice Chandrashekhar Dharmadhikari, a leading Gandhian and chairman of the Global Indian International School, said this is the first such initiative to be launched in any school in India. The Centre will work closely on inculcating the Gandhian philosophy and teaching to the children right from the early age so that they will not fall short while pursuing the modern and high quality education to become worthy citizens.

UNI