Healthy India must to fulfil dreamof 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047: Prez

Gorakhpur: Emphasizing the role of traditional Indian healthcare systems and lifestyle in the country's progress, President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said that the dream of making India a ‘vishwaguru' by 2047 can be realized only if the citizens are healthy.

Inaugurating Uttar Pradesh's first AYUSH University, Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath AYUSH University , in Gorakhpur, the President said: "Today, India's voice is being heard across the world, but every citizen must contribute to sustain that momentum. We say health is wealth. If we remain healthy, our dream of making India a Viksit Bharat and a ‘vishwaguru' can be realised by 2047."

She said that institutions like AYUSH university would play a crucial role in the journey by advancing education and healthcare.

"People must adopt the Ayurvedic and nature-based lifestyle alongside the modern medicine. It is important to follow our age-old traditions to maintain health, even after taking conventional medicine," she said.

Praising the infrastructure at the newly inaugurated university built at a cost of Rs 268 crore, Murmu said that around 100 AYUSH colleges would benefit through affiliation with it.

She said the university will undertake education and research to align AYUSH practices with international standards and scientific credibility. "Special emphasis will be given on research to build trust and global acceptance of AYUSH systems," she said, thanking Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his vision of the first such university in the state.

She said, "Today we have resources and facilities, but we must use them wisely for the well-being of our bodies."

Acknowledging Prime Minister Narendra Modi's role in promoting yoga and endorsing its implementation in modern life, the President said, "To empower ourselves physically and mentally, we must practice yoga. If done regularly, yoga can reduce the need for eight hours of sleep to just three hours. Yoga may not be essential for those doing hard physical work, but it is a necessity for officegoers who do not perform physical activities."

"Since 2014, the central govt and, from 2017, the Uttar Pradesh govt have established dedicated AYUSH departments to actively promote these beneficial traditional systems both in India and abroad with renewed energy," she added.

She expressed confidence that Mahayogi Guru Gorakhnath AYUSH University will become a confluence of tradition and modernity and play a decisive role in enhancing the scientific credibility and global popularity of Indian traditional medicine systems .

"Such institutions will help AYUSH systems gain international acceptance and strengthen India's soft power in the world," she added.

Highlighting the spiritual and historical legacy of the Gorakhpur region, she said: "This land of penance, meditation, and spirituality is also the foundation of self-respect and national pride. From the 18th-century monk-led revolts to the 1857 freedom struggle, the yogis of the Nath sect from Gorakhpur have played a key role in public welfare and India's fight for independence."

The President lauded ‘Gita Press', which she described as a sacred institution that has kept India's spiritual roots alive for over a century. "Their publications, including editions in Odia like the ‘Bhagavata Purana', have spiritually nourished millions," she said, recalling her visit to Gorakhnath Temple where she received Odia translations of ‘Shiv Purana' and ‘Bhagavata' as mementoes.