President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday expressed his anguish over the recent increase in cases of brutal assault on women and child rape and said it was time the nation reset its moral compass.
“The recent increase in assault against women and children has shaken the collective conscience of the nation. These unfortunate incidents underscore the urgency for our society to pause and introspect at the erosion of values and our repeated failure to ensure safety and security of our women and children,” Mr Mukheree said while delivering his speech at the 45th convocation ceremony of Utkal University, here.
Stating that such criminal depravity was a threat to the civilized functioning of society, the President said there was need to identify its causes and find solutions to it.
The society must ensure the dignity and respect for women, he observed.
“It is time for the nation to reset its moral compass. I call upon those who educate and nurture the minds of the youth, and who wield moral authority in the society to set this process in motion,” he said.
Mr Mukherjee said Indian universities and academic institutions must take a lead in imparting education “which will help us meet the moral challenge of our times.”
“It must help us build a modern democracy based on values of human dignity and equality,” he remarked.
After the convocation ceremony, Mr Mukherjee flew to Puri and offered prayer in Sri Jagannath temple.