The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, visited the British School in Delhi this week where he interacted with students and visited various school stalls. He spoke with students from different schools, engaging in conversations about their work and projects during his three-day visit to India – the first official royal visit to India since King Charles visited India in November 2019 – then as the Prince of Wales.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: “His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh is visiting India, from Sunday 2nd February to Tuesday 4th February, to celebrate the shared ties between the UK and India, and champion young people and the benefits of non-formal education.
“During the visit, His Royal Highness will meet young people undertaking the Award, Indian education and business leaders and philanthropists, and join events that celebrate UK-India shared interests in sport and the arts, and how these can be used to support young people to reach their full potential.”
During the three-day visit to India, Prince Edward met Maharashtra Governor and Chancellor of State Universities C.P. Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. During the meeting, the royal expressed satisfaction at how India and UK relations are strengthening, and the UK's desire to see more collaboration between the two nations. The Duke of Edinburgh also mentioned that he is the Chancellor of the University of Bath in the UK and stressed that cooperation in the field of education could prove mutually rewarding, according to the statement released by Raj Bhavan Maharashtra.
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The Prince, who champions the Duke of Edinburgh Award, also noted the importance of vocational education and training, as well as what is learned outside the classroom. Welcoming Prince Edward to Maharashtra, Radhakrishnan said India and the UK are two of the "greatest democracies in the world."
Stating that the people of India feel “almost at home” while in London, the Maharashtra Governor said higher education is one area where the two countries can work together. He said that it is easy for Indian students to get adapted to the education system in the UK.
In a statement, Raj Bhavan Maharashtra noted: "The Governor said apart from cooperation in the areas of Green Energy and Pharma Sector, India can benefit from the cooperation in the field of Hospital Management, noting that Hospital management in the UK was 'one of the best'.
"The Governor said in his role as Chancellor of Universities in Maharashtra, he would ask vice-chancellors to enter into MoUs with universities in the UK."
Stressing that India is emerging as the "most powerful economy in the world", the Maharashtra Governor said strong trade ties between India and the UK will strengthen overall relations in many other sectors. He also spoke about the need to sign a Free Trade Agreement.
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Maharashtra Governor and Prince Edward discussed the idea of having a Commonwealth Festival of Business and a Festival of Culture alongside the existing Commonwealth Festival of Sports. Mentioning football and cricket's popularity in India, Radhakrishnan said the UK should help to bring football development to India in a big way. Prince Edward noted the growth of cricket in India since the IPL and also praised India's excellence in badminton.
The central focus of the visit was to promote the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – set up by the late Prince Philip in 1956. The award is delivered in India as the International Award for Young People (IAYP) – a non-formal education and learning framework supporting young people to find their purpose, place and passion in the world.
(*With ANI Inputs)