SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday presented the Shri Kailakh Sanskrit Ratna Award-2025 to Prof Shrinivasa Varakhedi, Vice-Chancellor of the Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi, recognising his contributions to Sanskrit scholarship and service.
Speaking at the ceremony organised by the Kailakh Jyotish and Vedic Sansthan Trust in Jammu, Sinha said the country was witnessing a “cultural renaissance” and urged youth, writers and thinkers to guide the nation “to new heights like visionary craftsmen”. He described the younger generation as the inheritors of India’s spiritual and cultural heritage.
Sinha said the youth must balance modern skills with a commitment to preserving ancient traditions, combining “the passion for scientific research” with “the wisdom of divinity like Adi Shankaracharya”. He emphasised that Sanskrit, the oldest living language, offered a complete knowledge system that could support intellectual and technological advancement.
The LG also outlined five resolutions for citizens, stressing the need to integrate material and spiritual life, promote social harmony, reform education to produce individuals who embody both “saint and scientist”, build a sustainable relationship with nature and collectively counter forces creating social divisions.
Sinha said every Indian should take pride in the country’s civilisational heritage while contributing to nation-building grounded in moral values. He also highlighted the initiatives of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board in promoting Sanskrit learning, infrastructure development and community welfare.
Senior spiritual leaders, officials, academics and public representatives—including Mahant Rohit Shastri, Umesh Rai, MLAs Sham Lal Sharma, Surinder Kumar, Devyani Rana and Dr Sunil Bhardwaj—attended the event.
