Vice President of India Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan interacted with 40 participants of the MP LEAD Fellowship program at Uprashtrapati Bhavan. The fellowship is a two-month internship program initiated by Rajya Sabha Member Dr. Ajeet Madhavrao Gopchade, designed to provide young people with first-hand exposure to governance, public policy, and legislative processes.
The Vice President emphasized that leadership should be measured by service rather than authority, urging young participants to become ethical leaders committed to national service with humility, integrity, and compassion. He stressed India's civilizational unity, stating "Bharat was one, Bharat is one and Bharat will always remain one," and encouraged fellows to rise above region, language, and caste divisions.
Radhakrishnan highlighted India's development journey from food shortages in the 1960s to becoming one of the world's largest foodgrain exporters, urging youth to understand previous generations' hardships. He expressed confidence that many participants would occupy positions of responsibility in public life, administration, and judiciary, even suggesting one might become Vice President of India.
The program selected 40 fellows from over 5,000 applicants, with 62% of participants being women representing diverse regions of the country. The Vice President emphasized the importance of constitutional values and noted that democracy flourishes when citizens uphold both duties and rights.