Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday delivered an expansive address to young leaders in Mumbai, urging them to make ethics their character, public service their duty and responsibility their identity as they take on roles in nation building.
Sinha was addressing the convocation ceremony of the ninth batch and the induction of the tenth batch of the Indian Institute of Democratic Leadership (IIDL), an initiative of the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini. Congratulating the graduating cohort and welcoming the incoming batch, he described the occasion as marking both the completion of one journey and the beginning of another, expressing confidence that the institute would continue nurturing leaders grounded in constitutional values, discipline and wisdom.
The Lieutenant Governor identified seven challenges he believes will shape India’s future: sustaining long term economic growth, eliminating terrorism, separatism and divisive forces, promoting transparent and technology driven governance, ensuring merit based opportunities in politics, strengthening national integration, achieving global leadership in emerging technologies, and building a world class education system centred on quality, research, innovation and skills. Meeting these challenges, he said, would require the collective commitment of Indians, particularly the youth.
Drawing on the institute’s motto, which translates to welfare of the people is my duty, Sinha framed leadership as fundamentally about responsibility, ethics and service. He highlighted the contribution of Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini since its founding in 1982, noting that the institution has trained more than 60,000 parliamentarians, legislators, panchayat representatives, entrepreneurs and young people over the decades.
Referencing the Vedas and Upanishads, Sinha spoke of collective resolve, unity and noble intent as the foundations of social prosperity and harmony, urging the young leaders in the room to align their thoughts and actions with public welfare. He outlined four guiding principles of democratic leadership: honesty and transparency as the basis of public trust, knowledge and wisdom as a guide for decision making, sensitivity to maintain democratic balance, and public service as leadership’s highest duty.
Sinha noted that more than sixty five percent of India’s population is under the age of thirty five, calling on the youth to convert this demographic strength into a leadership dividend by building teams and creating roadmaps for inclusive growth. Citing Jammu and Kashmir’s transformation since 2020, he pointed to more than 30,000 completed projects and strengthened Panchayati Raj institutions as evidence of what participatory, ethical governance can achieve. He closed by stressing that public trust remains democracy’s greatest strength, built through dialogue, consensus and inclusion.
