CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: A Vyasa Puja program was organized on the occasion of Guru Purnima under the joint aegis of Rabindranath Tagore University, Bhopal and the Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, Madhya Bharat Region. As part of the event, a dialogue and discussion on the Guru-Shishya (teacher-student) tradition was also conducted.
The chief speaker of the program was Professor Harihar Gupta, President of Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal (Madhya Bharat), and the guest speaker was Professor Manoj Singh from Excellence College, Bhopal.
On this occasion, Professor Harihar Gupta emphasized that the guru (teacher) holds greater importance in life than even God, citing the famous couplet:
“Guru Govind dou khade, kaake laagun paayen?
Balihari Guru aapne, Govind diyo batayein.”
He stated that it is the guru who awakens the consciousness of a person to such a level that even an ordinary individual can attain divinity. It is the guru who imparts the knowledge of right and wrong.
Throughout Indian history, whenever immorality or injustice spread in society, it was the teachers—our gurus—who took it upon themselves to restore order. The example of Chanakya and Chandragupta stands as a testament to this.
Professor Manoj Singh emphasized that students must respect their teachers and follow the path shown by them, as this is the only way their lives can become successful and meaningful.
Sangeeta Johri, Registrar of the University, remarked that students today lack curiosity. The biggest question is that they don’t seem to have any questions. Every student should introspect and ask themselves: Why don’t I have questions?
It is questions that make a person conscious and aware — without them, there remains no difference between humans and animals.
Presiding over the program, Vice-Chancellor R.P. Dubey said that the Guru-Shishya tradition requires both students and teachers to continue learning.
He warned that the growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is somewhere weakening the sacred bond between teacher and student. However, we must always remember that AI can never replace the Guru-Shishya tradition. AI can provide information, but true experiential wisdom can only be imparted by a guru.
Prominent attendees included Durga Pandey (Principal, Institute of Pharmacy), Nilesh Sharma (Dean, Faculty of Law), Naish Zamir (Head of Department), Sangeeta Amte and Preeti Sharma (Faculty of Humanities and Liberal Arts), Atul Loomba, Rekha Gupta (NSS Program Officer), and a large number of students.
The event was coordinated and hosted by Gabbar Singh and Madhavi Patkar.
Key contributors to the successful execution of the program included Ripanshu Kumar, Vaishnavi, Akash Jatav, Payal Sahu, and Makshi Dhakoliya, among others.
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