Lucknow, April 6, 2026: Prof. Madan Mohan Goel, Propounder of the Needonomics School of Thought and former Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, delivered the keynote address at the inaugural session of a three-day International Conference organized by National Post Graduate College, Lucknow. His address was centered on the theme “Indian Knowledge Systems for a Shikshit and Viksit Bharat: Relevance of Gita-Inspired Needonomics for Governance and Sustainable Development.”
The programme commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Devendra Kumar Singh, Principal of the college. Dr. Punit Kanaujiya, Convener of the conference, presented a citation acknowledging Prof. Goel’s distinguished academic contributions and exemplary leadership in higher education.
In his keynote, Prof. Goel aligned the vision of the National Education Policy with the ideals of Shikshit Bharat and Viksit Bharat, emphasizing the need to strengthen national integration, socio-cultural cohesion, and constitutional values through the Indian Knowledge System (IKS). He underscored that these objectives must be guided by the foundational principles of Responsibility, Accountability, and Morality (RAM).
Drawing upon the timeless wisdom of the Hitopadeśa, Prof. Goel explained the natural progression of life: knowledge fosters humility, humility leads to worthiness, worthiness generates wealth, wealth supports dharma, and dharma culminates in happiness. He argued that Gita-inspired Needonomics restores this vital sequence, redefining education not merely as a means of livelihood but as a pathway to meaningful and fulfilling living.
Prof. Goel further elaborated on the concept of “Street SMART” governance—Simple, Moral, Action-oriented, Responsive, and Transparent—as a model for needo-governance. This approach, he noted, emphasizes ethical conduct, responsiveness to genuine needs, and outcome-based functioning, moving beyond the conventional rhetoric of “good governance.”
He asserted that sustainable development must be rooted in ethics, effective governance must embody humanity, and a truly Viksit Bharat must remain anchored in its timeless civilizational wisdom.
Concluding his address, Prof. Goel called for a collective commitment to building a nation where knowledge enlightens, governance serves, and development sustains—through the adoption of Gita-inspired Needonomics as a guiding framework
