New Delhi, Aug 12 (PTI) Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday disapproved of demanding parents who push their children to pursue 'mainstream' professions and do not allow them to follow their dreams.

Interacting with a group of students from Kerala who called on him at the Upa Rashtrapati Nivas here, he said, “Parents want to live their life through their children. That is not good. There is achievement in every walk of life.”

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The vice president expressed strong disapproval of certain demanding parents who push their wards to “become civil servants or engineers when the child actually wants to become a musician or a photographer”.

Responding to a question from a student, Dhankhar described drug abuse as a menace to the world. Calling drugs a challenge to humanity, he said it destroys those minds who have the capacity to take the world to a higher level.

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Delving into the factors behind drug abuse, the vice president said it happens because we are drifting away from our core cultural values and family life. He also called for generating an ecosystem where one believes in friendship, community life, family, and respects elders.

Praising the government for taking a tough stance on the drug challenge, Dhankhar appealed to the establishment to be "stringent with those who deal in drugs and never fear to expose those making money on account of drugs”.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)