BENGALURU: “Nehru was the architect of modern India. In recent years some people have been trying to portray him negatively; those who do not understand the meaning of freedom are doing this. We should act responsibly and not mislead children in an irresponsible manner. Nehru spent more than 3,200 days in jail during the freedom struggle. Though born into a wealthy family, he fought for the country’s independence”, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Friday.
The CM addressed the inauguration of the Parent‑Teacher Meeting (PTM) for government schools on Children’s Day at the Banquet Hall of the Legislative Assembly. He recalled that Nehru was the first Prime Minister and that he loved children.
“Children are the future. For the nation to develop in a healthy way, education is crucial. Only through education can change be achieved. That is why Nehru gave great importance to education. Our government is also giving increased emphasis to education and is spending Rs 65, 000 crore every year on it”, CM Siddaramaiah said.
The CM added, “We call Nehru ‘Chacha Nehru’ because children are dear to him; he had hope in them, which is why we call him like that”.
ದೇಶದ ಭವಿಷ್ಯ ರೂಪಿತ ಆಗುವುದು ವೈಚಾರಿಕ – ವೈಜ್ಞಾನಿಕ ಮನೋಭಾವದ ಮಕ್ಕಳಿಂದ. ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ಮಕ್ಕಳು ಪ್ರಾಥಮಿಕ ಶಿಕ್ಷಣದಿಂದಲೇ ಮೌಢ್ಯ, ಕಂದಾಚಾರದಿಂದ ದೂರ ಉಳಿಯಬೇಕು.
ಮಕ್ಕಳೇ ಭಾರತದ ಭವಿಷ್ಯ ಎನ್ನುವ ದೂರದೃಷ್ಟಿ ನೆಹರೂ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಇತ್ತು. ಹೀಗಾಗಿ ಮಕ್ಕಳಲ್ಲಿ ವೈಜ್ಞಾನಿಕ ಮನೋಧರ್ಮ ರೂಪಿಸುವ ಶಿಕ್ಷಣಕ್ಕೆ ಒತ್ತು ನೀಡಿದ್ದರು. ನಮ್ಮ ಸರ್ಕಾರ… pic.twitter.com/x6hatK3jNN
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) November 14, 2025
The CM, addressing the students said that, children should dream big. “You must study so that those dreams become reality. Education is not anyone’s property. Whatever chances we get, we must make use of it. Those who studied in government schools have even secured a seat in IITs. Parents want English‑medium education in private schools. For that, the government started 900 KPS schools”.
“We have spent this amount of money to provide quality education. I studied in a government school and became CM; you all will become doctors, engineers and scientists, and we must view our society in a secular way. After coming to power, we are making all schools read the Preamble of the Constitution. Our country is a pluralistic nation. Many caste systems exist. This system was created earlier; we must be cautious of entrenched interests that try to strengthen the caste system”, Siddaramaiah said.
The CM added, ‘Humans must love each other, we should not hate. We should love all religions, but some people have stirred this. We must live in tolerance and coexistence. Parents should nurture scientific and rational thinking in their children. In our country, there is unity in diversity and we must uphold this. Nehru did the same. All of you should walk the same path”. He also called out to the children that if the young generation walks in the right direction, that is a true tribute to Nehru.
The event was attended by Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, Vijayanand Kashappanavar, H M Revanna and several others.
