Teachers' Day celebrated across the country

New Delhi, Sep 5 (UNI) Teachers' Day was celebrated with much fervour in different parts of the country today as students paid tribute to their favorite 'gurus' on the occassion.

Honouring 314 awardees in the capital, President Pratibha Devisingh Patil exhorted the teachers to become role models for their students and inculcate in them the values enshrined in the Constitution.

''These values give strength and sustenance not only to our diverse multi-cultural society but also to our country'', Mrs Patil said after giving away the National Awards to the teachers.

She also emphasised the need to develop vocational skills and strengthen the role of women in promoting education objectives.

In Haryana, Governor A R Kidwai stressed the need for bringing school education up to international standards so that students could meet the challenges of globalisation.

He conferred State awards to 42 teachers for their outstanding performance in the field of education, co-curricular and social activities.

Arunachal Pradesh honoured 30 teachers with state awards for their dedicated services. Assembly Speaker Setong Sena, who presented the awards, exhorted the teaching community to impart value-based education to students to suit the present day education scenario of the country.

In Sikkim, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling expressed his determination to make the upcoming Sikkim Central University the best in the world.

Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang, awarding 30 teachers from various schools of the state, announced the launch of ''Operation Sustainability'' with the agriculture department and its allied sectors, aimed at offering professional courses to school students in the rural areas of the state- to train students with modern technologies, regenerate rural economy, and curb rural-to-urban migration.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy called upon the teachers to strive hard to mould the children into good citizens in the society and said the government would work to protect teacher's rights.

Himachal Pradesh Governor V S Kokje conferred state teacher awards to five school lecturers and national award on three school teachers for their outstanding achievement in 2005 and 2007.

In Gujarat, a tribute was paid to second Indian President Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan on his 119th birth anniversary. Known for his teaching skills, his birth anniversary is celebrated as ''Teachers Day'' in the country.

The day was however symbolised by indiscipline in Srinagar and Punjab.

Chaos reigned supreme in Srinagar where life was thrown out of gear due to a rally organised by the Jammu and Kashmir government on Teachers' Day. Unruly and rash driving further added to the prevailing chaos as few traffic policemen were seen on the roads to ensure smooth movement of vehicles In Punjab, the function was marred by police lathicharge to prevent agitating Education Volunteers, demanding regularisation, from proceeding towards the venue here. More than a dozen agitating volunteers received minor injuries when they were trying to proceed towards the venue of function to be addressed by the Punjab Education Minister Dr Upinderjit Kaur.

The police rounded up more than a hundred agitating volunteers from different locations in the town and took them to police stations at Subhanpur and Dhilwan.

UNI