Infosys Mentor Narayana Murthy wrests hope on youth to take country forward

Video address at Ideal Jawa Rotary School Golden Jubilee

Mysuru: “The youth of today are living in a very challenging and interesting times. They have all the opportunities to rise to the occasion and take the country forward,” said Infosys Mentor N.R. Narayana Murthy (NRN).

He was addressing the students of Ideal Jawa Rotary School at its Golden Jubilee celebrations in a video address at the Open Air Theatre in Manasagangothri, here last evening and said, “The country for the first time in 300 years history is poised for a big leap as the world’s attention is focused on us. The economic growth is at an all-time high of 6.5 per cent. But there was a time when India was known only for exporting spices unlike now where it is known for software export and development centre of the world.”

He expressed his regret that he was unable to be present personally due to ill health.

Talking about the country’s leap he said, “It is after a long time that the investor’s confidence about India is high and this has resulted in Foreign Direct Investment and portfolio investment.”

However, he sounded a note of caution when he raised concerns over India still being backward in many parameters. “Corruption is an issue that is eating into the very vitals of the country. On the one hand the number of billionaires is going up, even as 350 million remain illiterate. Nearly 150 million have no access to safe drinking water and over 500 million do not have access to sanitation facilities,” he said and added, “This is not how a country is built.”

Pointing out that unlike his generation who could have made a bigger difference, he said, “I hope that India will see immense growth in the next 30 years and the 40-50-year-olds being better informed and confident citizens will make a difference to the country.”

Past District Governor (PDG) and Industrialist Rtn. R. Guru lauded the efforts of Ideal Jawa Rotary School Governing Council in maintaining high standards of education and recalled the contributions of Founder-Principal Sheila Irani, educationist S.G. Sanath Kumar, Carolyn Parpia and Dr. P.R. Sitaram.

A very beautiful documentary film on the Golden Jubilee of the school scripted, narrated and directed by Sunaad Raghuram was screened capturing the growth right from its inception       till today with vignettes of black and white photographs of the school adding allure to the film. A souvenir was also released on the occasion. Ideal Jawa Rotary School Chairman Shiraz T. Irani, Vice Chairman Rtn. T.K. Chittaranjan, Rotary Children Library Association President Rtn. Aravind Singavi and Rotary Mysore President  Rtn. K.R. Shanthamurthy were on the dais.

Governing Council Members Rtn. R. Vasudev Bhat, Rtn. Raian Irani and others were present on the occasion.

Later, Music Composer and Director Arjun Janya had the more than 5,000 school children and alumni grooving to his popular numbers.

Sheila Irani’s bust unveiled

The bronze bust of Founder-Principal Sheila Irani, measuring about two feet and weighing 55 kg, sculpted by Mysuru’s renowned sculptor B.S. Arun Yogiraj was unveiled this morning at the Ideal Jawa Rotary School on JLB Road by Past District Governor Rtn. S. Gururaj.

A photo exhibition of 50 years of the school was inaugurated by Rtn. K.R. Shanthamurthy. The students and the alumni of the 50-year-old school viewed the photo exhibits in the gallery.