The dream of Swami Vivekananda, the prophet of Modern India, was to build a New India. His clarion call to the youth of the nation is ‘ Arise, awake, for your country needs this tremendous sacrifice. It is the young men that will to do it. “The young, the energetic, the strong, the well-built, the intellectual” – for them is the task.’

Unfortunately, under the impact of material and sensate civilization of the modern days, the younger generation is in a state of utter confusion and dilemma. According to Swamiji, ‘Education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot there, undigested, all your life. We must have life-building, man-making, character-making assimilation of ideas.’ The ‘Vivekananda Institute of Value Education & Culture ‘ (VIVEC) of Sri Ramakrishna Ashrama, Rajkot works keeping this IDEAL in view.

To achieve total development of personality, development has to be in all spheres of life: physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual. The eternal values of human life, that have been truly reflected in the life and teachings of Sri Ramakrishna, Ma Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda and the Saints of India and the world forms the platform of the training that VIVEC offers to the students who participate in its Value-Education programmes. Seminars are also organized for teachers, who are the torchbearers of the society. The institute runs under the guidance and supervision of the monks of the Ashrama.

VIVEC conducts regular Yogasana classes to bring to the children the ancient wisdom as taught by the sages of India. It also conducts classes on health and hygiene for the students.

VIVEC organizes Value-Oriented Seminars by inviting students along with the teachers of schools and colleges where they are given ideas about eternal moral values like Self-reliance, Truth, Humility, Unselfishness etc. They are also encouraged to prepare themselves as proper citizens by learning social responsibility, civic responsibility and concern for others.

VIVEC organizes regular competitions, talks and discourses by learned monks of the Ashrama and distinguished speakers to make the participants acquainted with the great cultural heritage of India.

VIVEC arranges seminars that include Prayers, Vedic Chanting, Meditation classes and lectures on the life and message of great Saints and Incarnations of the world. Regular programmes on devotional songs are also organized in the auditorium.

The students themselves conduct different programmes like drama on Indian Culture, Devotional songs, inspiring speeches with prior preparations. They also visit the permanent exhibitions on Indian Culture in the Institute. Free books on Value-Education and quality snacks are distributed to the participants after the programmes.

Expenses per seminar: Six thousand approx.

‘Let us all work hard, my brethren; this is no time for sleep. On our work depends the coming of the India of the future. She is there ready waiting. She is only sleeping. Arise and awake, and see Her seated here, on Her eternal throne, rejuvenated, more glorious than She ever was – this Mother land of ours’- is Swami Vivekananda’s call to all of us. Let us all respond to this call of the Prophet of Modern India.