'Goddess' handled ministries in ancient India, says Vice President Venkaiah Naidu

New Delhi: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said that in ancient India, ministries were operated by 'devis' (goddesses).

Naidu said Durga was the defence minister while Laxmi was the finance minister of India in ancient times.

Naidu was delivering the keynote at the Indian School of Business (ISB) Leadership Summit in Mohali when he gave the reference of the devis, and called for women empowerment.

The Vice President also advised the students to be proud of their heritage.

"We have to tap into our inner strengths and with a collective will and tireless striving as Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore said 'we must build a new India'.

"We need to keep adding new chapters to India's fascinating growth story. All of us should be the co-authors of this evolving document," he said.

"Ram Rajya is still hailed as the greatest period of our history because of the ideal governance. However, if one talks about it today, it too may be given a communal angle," he said. 

The Vice President said that as a nation, one needed to focus on development.

"The challenges are enormous. The agenda has to be development, development, development through good governance and not controversies. We are a free nation now, we are independent, we do not have any foreign rulers now, we are ruling ourselves...Politics should be confined to elections, once the elections are over everybody should focus on development.

"States must compete with each other, and then the Centre and states must work together like Team India," he said.

Naidu said terrorism had no religion and it was the enemy of humanity.

"In my view, the India of tomorrow will be a country which will translate the dreams of our freedom fighters into tangible reality. It will be an India that will transform the quality of life of the citizens," he said, asserting that the country was marching on the path of progress.

Referring to the concept of 'Smart Cities', Naidu said these were the cities where life was comfortable like having round-the-clock water supply and electricity, rain water harvesting, good roads, cycling tracks, public transport etc.

"Of course, smart cities cannot be built overnight. They cannot be built by just making a statement...Smart cities require a smart leader...Smart not in terms of height, or one who wears a good coat, hat etc...But a leader with a vision, conviction and clarity," he said.

Talking about his vision for the country, the vice president said, "It will be an India that will internalize and live the values of democracy and inclusion as a way of life.

"It will be an India that places people, especially those who are the poorest of the poor at the center of the development process. It will be an India that encourages each Indian to realize his or her potential.

"It will be an India where women get equal opportunities along with men. See our 'Puranas', women are given highest importance. All the rivers in our country--Ganga, Yamuna, Kaveri, Narmada, Mahanadi, Tapti are named after women. We also call our country 'Bharat Mata' or Mother India," he said.

Naidu also called for innovations in multiple spheres.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a call for 'Reform, Perform and Transform'," he said while pointing out that innovation was the need of the hour.

Quoting the World Bank, the vice president said the country remains a favorite destination for global investors.

"A statement by the World Bank said with 1.2 billion people and the world's third-largest economy in purchasing power parity terms, India's recent growth has been a significant achievement.

"Life expectancy has more than doubled, literacy rates have quadrupled, health conditions have improved, and a sizable middle class has emerged. India is now home to globally recognized companies in pharmaceuticals, steel, information, and space technologies, and enjoys a voice on the international stage that is more in keeping with its size and potential," Naidu said quoting the global body.

(With agency inputs)