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Karnataka State Bharat Scouts and Guides (BSG) Commissioner P.G.R. Scindia said on Sunday that the selfless service rendered by the Karnataka unit over the years has not received due recognition from the national headquarters of BSG. “I am a little sceptical about how I should render my service or motivate my people to work when such contributions go unacknowledged,” he said. He was speaking at a function jointly organised by BSG and Alva’s Education Foundation to present the Messenger of Peace Award-2023 and Rashtrapati Puraskar-2016 of BSG, at Kannada Bhavan in Moodbidri. Highlighting the State unit’s major contributions, he recalled that the International Cultural Jamboree of the Scouts and Guides, held at Moodbidri, saw the participation of over 60,000 delegates. During COVID-19, the Karnataka unit distributed one crore face masks across the State. Scouts and Guides volunteers from Karnataka also rendered selfless service during major events such as the Male Mahadeshwara Temple fair, Sri Hasanamba and Siddeshwara Swamy fair, and Udupi Paryaya. “Despite these large-scale contributions, there has been little acknowledgment from the national headquarters. Such neglect dampens the enthusiasm and interest of our members towards the movement,” he added. He said that India’s population exceeds 140 crore, of which over 30 crore are youths. “Yet, in Scouts and Guides, we have not reached even one crore. This is not a good sign. We need to reach out to more young people,” the former Home Minister of Karnataka said. The ideology of Scouts and Guides is rooted in selfless service, discipline, and character building. It aims to nurture responsible citizens who contribute positively to society through duty, loyalty, and compassion, he said. Speaking on the occasion, Additional International Commissioner (Scouts), Bharat Scouts and Guides, Madhusudhan Avala Subramanyam, said Scouts and Guides teaches humility, courtesy, loyalty, and trustworthiness. Of the 48 persons chosen for the Rashtrapati Puraskar-2016 from across the country, 25 received awards in person, while of the 48 selected for the Messenger of Peace Award-2023, 21 received awards in person.
