Empower Women Through Education, Says Vice President Ansari

Mumbai: Vice President Hamid Ansari yesterday emphasised the need to empower women and minorities through education.

The Vice President answered queries on wide ranging topics covering education, sports, role of the media and international relations, while participating in an interactive programme with students of Sophia College for Women in Mumbai.

A good beginning has been made with the enactment of the Right To Education Act, but primary education results are very uneven, Mr Ansari said.

"Education is a partnership process. It is the responsibility of parents to send their children to school, and it is the responsibility of schools to impart good education," he said.


Through the Right to Education (RTE), the process of admitting children in schools is largely being met, but the school system fails to impart quality education, Mr Ansari said, adding that the situation could be changed through society's intervention rather than government initiated measures.

Speaking about rising stress levels in the field of education, the Vice President said, "Excellence requires hardwork. The challenge is to transform stress into enjoyment".

Sports should made part of the curriculum under the RTE, he said, adding "Right To Sports must be part of Right To Education. That is where the talent lies, which India needs to locate, if it were to excel in a variety of sports," he said.

Asked if he supported reservation for minorities, Mr Ansari said, "Our Constitution provides for equality of opportunities. If some people are found to be less than equal, then the state has to take necessary steps to place them on an equal footing".

Mr Ansari said he would refrain from using the word "reservation", and would rather prefer to call it "affirmative action".