Union Education Minister and BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan said Wednesday that the national song “Vande Mataram”, penned by late Bankim Chandra Chatterjee in 1875, is “very much relevant” for the country even after 78 years of Independence, and children across the country should be encouraged to sing it.Pradhan, who was the chief guest at the Sat Paul Mittal National Awards 2025 ceremony held in Ludhiana, said that Punjab “sacrificed the most for country’s freedom and prosperity”.Remembering the Sikh Gurus, Pradhan said the teachings and sacrifices of the Sikh Gurus played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s fabric and “the brave people of Punjab” sacrificed their lives to get the country freed from the British.Pradhan also interacted with students on the National Education Policy (NEP). “The policy encourages students to learn and interact in their regional mother-tongue, but at the same time, it also facilitates the learning of global languages such as English, German, Japanese, Mandarin, etc., so that children can become global leaders,” he said.Remembering late Sat Paul Mittal, Pradhan said that who would have thought that a young man from Ludhiana would rise to become a great educationist and a torch-bearer for girls’ education.The Sat Paul Mittal National Awards are given by the Nehru Sidhant Kendra Trust, established in 1983 by late Sat Paul Mittal, a two-time Congress MP and an educationist. His sons Sunil Bharti Mittal, Rakesh Bharti Mittal and Rajan Bharti Mittal are co-owners of conglomerate Bharti Enterprises, which owns several brands including the telecom giant Airtel.On why the BJP-led Centre was commemorating 150 years of “Vande Mataram”, Pradhan said: “Though it has always been respected as our national song, on its 150th anniversary, we decided to convert it into a lok andolan, jan abhiyaan (mass movement).”Story continues below this ad“The song was penned by Chatterjee to ignite the feelings of the people for country’s freedom struggle, to attain Swarajya and to unite the country against the British. It was a struggle for country’s independence and Punjab was leading it. ‘Vande Mataram’ is still very relevant as it inspires us to take the country towards samriddhi (prosperity). For 2047, when the country will complete 100 years of Independence, we have set Viksit Bharat as our ultimate goal,” said Pradhan.“Punjab has sacrificed the most for an independent and prosperous country. Sikh Guru’s teachings and sacrifices have always shown us the way and brave people of Punjab have always given their lives for the nation,” said Pradhan.Interacting with children, Pradhan said: “In coming years, we just don’t have to use technology, but also invent and create it. A small company born in Ludhiana (Airtel), is now among the leading telecom giants in the world. The country is full of such talented children who will put India on the world map.”Amid the debate on three-language formula, Pradhan said that NEP mandates that children should grasp and understand foundational lessons in their mother-tongue.Story continues below this ad“However, we also want children to be global leaders and for that they need to learn English, and other foreign languages too,” said the minister.Award winnersPlatinum in the ‘Individual’ category was presented to Muktaben Pankajkumar Dagli, founder of Pragnachakshu Mahila Seva Kunj in Gujarat, which empowers visually impaired women. Having lost her own vision at seven, she established an institution that provided free education, accommodation, food, healthcare and transportation to over 200 visually impaired girls.Platinum in the ‘Institutional’ category was jointly conferred upon “Humans for Humanity” and “Parivaar Education Society”.Dehradun-based “Humans for Humanity” actively works to combat social stigmas surrounding menstruation through campaigns like Breaking the Bloody Taboo and the Red Cloth Campaign. Through the WASH project, they reached over 4.5 million women across seven states in India, educating them about menstrual hygiene and training them to make biodegradable sanitary napkins.Story continues below this adThe Parivaar Education Society, based in Kolkata, transforms the lives of vulnerable children through holistic care, quality education, and empowerment programs. It also supports the destitute, elderly, and homeless through humanitarian initiatives such as Mobile Clinics, 24×7 Ambulance Services, and a Vision Restoration Programme for underprivileged seniors.