He also asked them to be in the forefront in eliminating casteism and religious fundamentalism.Delivering the first Prof. Yashwantrao Kelkar Memorial Lecture, in Mumbai on Thursday, he pointed out that the country was facing challenges on different fronts - about 20 percent of the population was still living in poverty and an equal percentage of people were illiterate. M. Venkaiah Naidu cited instances of social, gender discrimination and atrocities against women, corruption, casteism and religious fundamentalism as some of the challenges. On the external front, India was constantly facing the problem of cross-border terrorism, he added.Stressing the need for promoting nationalistic outlook among the youth and involving them in constructive nation-building activities, he said: “All of us must strive to build a New India that is free of poverty, hunger, discrimination, and inequalities based on caste, creed, and gender”. The Vice President advised student organizations such as Vidya