Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday said that connecting the youth with the core values of the Constitution is essential for strengthening India’s democracy. He was speaking at a Constitution Day event at Manipal University in Jaipur.
Birla said the Constitution is not just a legal document but a guide to India’s national character, built on the principles of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity. He stressed that young people must understand these values and reflect them in their conduct.
Calling initiatives like “Know the Constitution” timely and necessary, Birla said universities represent India’s diversity, with students from different states and countries studying together. This diversity, he said, is a strength that the Constitution helps to unify.
The Speaker noted that Parliament is working to integrate the study of the Constitution more deeply into school, college, and university curricula. “Only when the new generation understands its heritage and democratic traditions will India’s future become stronger,” he said. He also urged universities to emerge as global centres of innovation and research.
Birla highlighted that the drafting of the Constitution was a continuation of the freedom movement. He recalled the long struggle for independence and the challenges of nation-building that followed, including the integration of hundreds of princely states and managing a wide range of cultural and ideological differences.
He said leaders such as Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and other members of the Constituent Assembly held extensive discussions over three years to draft a Constitution that ensures justice and rights for all citizens.
Birla emphasised that India’s youth—equipped with knowledge, innovation, technology, and cultural grounding – will be the country’s biggest strength in the years ahead. He said young Indians are already contributing to global issues such as climate change, healthcare, disaster management, and emerging technologies. Educational institutions, he added, must work to strengthen constitutional values, a sense of duty, and national interest among students.