Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday called upon the media to follow values of ethical journalism and be responsible in their coverage of news.

Expressing his concern over the tendency to exaggerate and sensationalise news, the vice-president said that it is tantamount to misinforming the public. At times, such misinformation can cause panic, he said and added “be closer to the truth and stay away from sensation”.

Naidu inaugurated a 100 Metre Tower for 10 KW FM Operation at the All India Radio FM Station in Nellore. Soon after arriving at the AIR studio, he gave a special address through live broadcast and dedicated the FM tower to the people of Nellore. He expressed happiness that the station he laid the foundation for when he was the Minister of Information & Broadcasting is operational today.

Later, the vice-president asserted that freedom of press is indispensable in a democracy. He said the media plays a vital role in educating the people on various issues and strengthening democracy. In this context, he underlined the critical role of broadcast media in national development.

Noting the widespread reach of the media in the digital age, Naidu advised the media to reflect the realities of society and always remain wedded to cardinal principles of journalism. There is also a need for the media to introspect and self-regulate. He also suggested that people should encourage media organisations that follow honest and ethical journalism.

Reflecting on the falling standards in TV debates, the vice president called for more meaningful and respectful discussions on important national issues. Reminding that India has 60 percent rural population, he called upon all media organisations to focus more on the issues of rural India.

Touching upon the rise of social media, he expressed his concern over the phenomenon of fake news and said that people should not forward unverified and unsubstantiated information to others.

The Vice President noted the popularity of radio and its importance in educating people on various issues. He recalled how radio has been instrumental in giving recognition to many artists as well as bringing extension services closer to farmers.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday expressed confidence that every Indian stranded in Ukraine will be brought back home safely as the government is making every effort in that direction.

Speaking at a book release function of ‘Bharata Des Pakshana’ – a Telugu translation of ‘The Case for India’ by Will Durant in Vijayawada, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had apprised him of the measures being taken to rescue Indians stranded in the war zone.

“India is adopting a calibrated approach on international developments keeping in view the country’s national interests and everyone should speak in one voice to protect the country’s interests and not voice anything that will be detrimental to India”, he said.

The Vice President deplored the disinformation and misinformation campaign by sections of international media against Indian democracy as certain powers were unable to digest the progress and emergence of India as a powerful nation.

He also said that India always believed in peaceful coexistence with other countries and recalled that India was once known as Vishwaguru and was powerful culturally and economically. India wants to become strong, stable and prosperous to help others, he added.

Referring to Will Durant’s book as a useful resource to study the British rule, the Vice President said the noted American historian uncovered the real nature of British rule in India by showing the ‘deliberate bleeding of India by England for a hundred and fifty years’ and describing it as ‘the greatest crime in all history’.

Inaugurating the Marine Interpretation Unit of the Forest Research Centre for Coastal Ecosystem (FRCCE) in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu urged the people to become more environmentally conscious and adopt a sustainable lifestyle amid climate change.

He said it is time that we make amends to bring the desired change in our planet’s health.

The Marine Interpretation Unit has been established to disseminate knowledge on the marine environment and to work with coastal communities. The FRCCE is the only establishment in the country for research on timber protection under seawater in its total perspective.

Naidu, who is on a four-day visit to Visakhapatnam, also he is happy that the FRCCE was conducting research on forest biodiversity and forest genetic resources management with respect to mangroves and coastal ecosystems of East and West coast.

“Their research work on the mangrove ecosystem as well as biodiversity of Eastern Ghats is all the more critical in the time of ecological degradation and climate change,” he added.

Reiterating that “the ultimate aim of science is to bring happiness and make people’s lives better,” the Vice President lauded the Centre for its efforts to benefit the coastal communities.

He also expressed his happiness over the distribution of 100 preservative-treated catamarans made of perishable timber to the fishermen of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu by the Centre as a measure towards alleviating poverty.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has called for the need to make the judiciary accessible for native language speakers. Referring to the Chief Justice of India, N.V. Ramana’s recent initiative allowing a woman to speak in Telugu in court, the Vice President said the incident underlined the need for judiciary to allow people to express their problems in their mother tongues, and also deliver judgments in the regional languages.

Addressing a virtual conference organised by ‘Telugu Kootami’ on the protection of mother tongues, Saturday, Naidu cautioned that loss of mother tongue, ultimately leads to loss of self-identity and self-esteem. It would be possible to preserve various aspects of our heritage – music, dance, drama, customs, festivals, traditional knowledge – only by preserving our mother tongue, he said.

Naidu called for innovative and collaborative efforts to protect and rejuvenate Indian languages. Stressing that preserving languages and ensuring their continuity is possible only through people’s movement, he said that people must come together in one voice and pool in efforts to pass on our heritage of language to our future generations.

Referring to various best practices in the world in preserving mother tongue, the Vice President called upon language enthusiasts, linguists, teachers, parents and the media to take insights from such countries. He said that countries like France, Germany and Japan, while using their native tongue in various advanced disciplines like engineering, medicine and law, have proved themselves strong vis-a-vis English-speaking countries in every field. He also suggested improving scientific and technical terminology in Indian languages in order to facilitate wider reach.

Touching upon various people-driven initiatives needed to preserve Indian languages, the Vice President highlighted the important role translation plays in enriching a language. He called for increased efforts in improving the quality and quantity of translations in Indian languages. He also proposed making ancient literature more accessible and relatable to the youth in plain, spoken languages.

Expressing concern over instances of frequent disruption in legislatures and Parliament, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday gave a call for upholding values in public life.

Speaking at the centenary celebrations of former Parliamentarians and educationist Nookala Narotham Reddy, Naidu opined that the recent incidents in certain state legislatures were disheartening. Stating that “disruption means derailing debate and derailing democracy and the nation”, he cautioned that people will get disillusioned if the same trend continues.

Naidu reminded that conduct in Parliament and legislatures should be in pursuit of the 3 D’s — ‘Discuss, Debate and Decide’. He said that at no point the House should become a platform for disruption. “Obstructing the House only hurts the cause of public interest,” he added.

Highlighting the exemplar quality of debates when Narotham Reddy took part in the Parliament, Naidu said that representatives’ actions in the legislatures should reflect people’s aspirations.

The Vice President also expressed his concern over the declining attendance of parliamentarians and legislators in respective Houses. He stressed upon the need for them to be regular and contribute meaningfully to the discussion.

The Vice President further said that the criticism by the members should be constructive and they should not resort to personal attacks against others. Naidu appealed to the people to elect representatives who possess the 4Cs – ‘Calibre, Conduct, Capacity and Character’.

Emphasising the role of education in inculcating moral values, patriotism and probity in public life, Naidu said that education should produce “well rounded holistic individuals”. Pointing to India’s demographic dividend, he said that no other nation has this kind of advantage and stressed the need to fully leverage it for the country’s progress. In this context, he called for upskilling the younger generations in tune with the 21st century needs. He advised the students to upgrade themselves with the latest technological developments.

Naidu also suggested that in the spirit of New Education Policy, institutes should restructure themselves and bring in a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to education. “The policy also targets at reducing the burden of curriculum and attempts to bring about a comprehensive development in the young student, matching international standards,” he added.

Recalling India’s glorious past in the field of education when students from other countries used to come to study at reputed institutions like Nalanda and Takshashila, the Vice President stressed the need to regain the past glory.

Speaking about the importance of mother tongue, the Vice President underscored the need for connecting with one’s own constituents through their mother tongue. “People who elected us should know what we are talking about. That is why members should try to speak in their mother tongue as much as possible” he said. He noted that with mother tongue as a priority, the Rajya Sabha has now given an opportunity to speak in 22 languages and adequate facilities were provided for this purpose.

In his speech, the Vice President praised late Narotham Reddy for his invaluable contributions to the education sector – as an administrator in Osmania University, through his support for better pay scales for faculty and by arguing for upgrading university’s infrastructure and standards. He said that these kinds of celebrations are meant to remind and inspire the younger generation about the contributions made by great people like Narotham Reddy in nation building.

Md. Mohamood Ali, Home Minister of Telangana, Prof. E. Shiva Reddy, Chairman, Organising Committee of Centenary Celebrations, Nookala Rajendra Reddy, Convener, Organising Committee and others were present at the event.