Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on Friday said building a developed India would be possible only when every child is connected with education, every person has access to healthcare and society is aware of cleanliness and a healthy lifestyle.

Interacting with 20 students of a Government Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya from Delhi's Kailash Nagar, Patel said impure water and a polluted environment adversely affect health and urged the students to remain conscious of cleanliness.

"Developed India can be built only when every child is connected with education, every person gets healthcare facilities and there is awareness about cleanliness and a healthy lifestyle in society," Patel told the students, according to a statement issued by the Jan Bhavan here.

She also encouraged the students to work continuously towards their dreams, saying there was no substitute for hard work, it added.

Patel said children are like "raw clay" and their personality and values were shaped by their school, teachers, parents and home environment. She urged them to read books on the lives of great personalities to learn how they overcame challenges and achieved their goals.

The governor also asked the students to help underprivileged children when they become successful.

She advised them to improve their handwriting, saying clear and legible writing has a positive impact on studies and examination results. She also stressed the importance of nutritious, balanced and home-cooked food, according to the statement.

Patel asked the students to write essays about places and activities they observed during their visit to Lucknow, saying documenting such experiences would develop their powers of observation and prove useful in their future work.

The students, accompanied by their principal, teachers and former students, met the governor at Jan Bhavan.

This report was published from a wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.