India needs poets, writers as much as we need doctors, engineers: Vice President Naidu

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday urged schools and universities to encourage literature and arts as India needs "poets, writers, artists and singers as much as we need doctors, engineers and scientists."Addressing the valedictory session of the 39th World Congress of Poets (WCP) here, Naidu said, "Poetry should promote peace, motivate people to cultivate universal brotherhood, social harmony and tolerance. Poetry can serve as a powerful catalyst that could hasten the process of social transformation."He added, "I urge schools to make poetry reading and appreciation a compulsory part of the curriculum. I also ask universities to encourage literature, arts and humanities education. We need poets and writers and artists and singers as much as we need doctors, engineers and scientists. Promotion of literature is also an impactful method to preserve and promote languages, a cause that is very close to my heart."Naidu said that the best way to preserve or promote any language is to