Investment in children has the highest multiplier effect

New Delh: Investing in children and nurturing strong values among the next generation is fundamental to building a stable, progressive and prosperous nation. The urgent need to place values at the heart of children's development emerged as the clarion call at a pre-Children’s Day 2026 event organised by Mothers Advocating Values (MAV), a Delhi-based collective of concerned mothers, at Lady Irwin Senior Secondary School, New Delhi.

The message was unequivocal: India’s investment in its children will deliver the greatest returns for the nation if their development is anchored in strong values and character. As the country pursues its ambition of Viksit Bharat 2047, economic progress, technological advancement and educational achievement alone cannot guarantee a strong nation without a generation of responsible, compassionate and ethical citizens.

Held under the theme ‘Values Empowered Youth for a Viksit Bharat’, the event brought together distinguished voices from public service, governance, national security, education, sports and civil society. The speakers underscored the urgency of collective action by parents, educators, institutions and policymakers to counter the erosion of values and place children's character at the heart of nation-building.

The gathering included Smt. Lata Gupta, Chairperson, Delhi Commission for Women; Shri Sumeet Ankur Singh, Chairperson, Member NCCDR, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment; Shri Shyam Jaju, Former National Vice-President, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP); Dr. Shantanu Mukharji, former Inspector General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, and former National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister of Mauritius; Shri Jitendra Mani Tripathi, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Security, President’s Security Cell, Delhi Police; Dr. Baani Yadav, Indian motorsport rally driver; and Ms. Minakshi Khurana, Distinguished Educationist.