April 18, 2026 11:58 am (IST)
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No one person influenced me but Vivekananda inspired me: Modi
New Delhi, Sept 4 (IBNS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said not any one person has influenced him as a student but he was greatly moved by the words of Swami Vivekananda.
Interacting with students ahead of the Teachers' Day here, PM Modi to a question of a student said: "I don't think any one person makes a life. It is about having a receptive mind, people keep teaching us something or the other: But I was greatly influenced by Swami Vivekananda and I used to read him a lot and felt enriched."
"You can learn something new even during a train journey. I have learnt a lot from my teachers. I spent lot of time in the library in our village where there were good collection of books," said the PM
"I bow to all the teachers. It is the teachers who make the generations. Being a teacher is not like any other career. It is something different," he said.
"Youngsters did not live during the time of Dr. Radhakrishnan but you have seen Dr. Kalam. He always wanted to be remembered as a teacher," said the PM.
The PM before interacting with school children ahead of Teachers' Day also launched a commemorative coin on Dr Radhakrishnan and launched the Kala Utsav.
Modi, whose programme began around 10 am at the Manekshaw Auditorium, earlier tweeted: "As a part of Teachers' Day celebrations, tomorrow at 10 AM I will attend a programme very close to my heart-interaction with school children."
He said: "Interaction with school children is refreshing. The enthusiasm of children & their curiosity is always gladdening."
The event at Manekshaw Hall in New Delhi includes children from nine states across India, who will join the interaction through video-conferencing, besides the students present in the Hall itself.
The Prime Minister released a commemorative coin in honour of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and launched the Kala Utsav website. Kala Utsav is an initiative of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) to promote arts in education by nurturing and showcasing the artistic talent of school students at the secondary stage in the country.
Union Minister for Human Resource Development Smriti Zubin Irani, and Union Ministers of State Upendra Kushwaha, Ram Shankar Katheria, and Jayant Sinha are present on the occasion.
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