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New Delhi : PM Narendra Modi delivered the inaugural address at the ‘Conclave on Transformational Reforms in Higher Education under National Education Policy (NEP)’ here on August 7, 2020, through video conference.The conclave was organised by the Ministry of Education and University Grants Commission.
Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal; Union Minister of State for Education Sanjay Dhotre; and Secretary, Higher Education, Amit Khare also participated at the event. A number of dignitaries including Chairman, UGC, D P Singh; Chairman K Kasturirangan and Members, Committee for Draft NEP spoke on different aspects of the National Education Policy at the Conclave.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister mentioned that the National Education Policy was approved after extensive deliberations over 3-4 years and brainstorming over lakhs of suggestions. He noted that healthy debate and discussions are taking place on NEP across the country. The NEP aims at making the youth ‘Future Ready’ while focussing on the National Values and National Goals.
PM Modi said that the policy lays the foundation of the New India, the 21st Century India, the education and skills needed for the youth to strengthen India, to advance it to new heights of development and to further empower the citizens of India to make them suitable for maximum opportunities. He said that for years our education system remained unchanged leading to lopsided priorities where people were focussing on either becoming a doctor, an engineer or a lawyer. He said there was no mapping of the Interest, Ability, and Demand, according to a PIB release.
The Prime Minister questioned how could critical thinking and innovative thinking develop in the youth unless there is passion in our education, Philosophy of Education, Purpose of Education. He said the NEP also reflects the ideals of Guru Rabindranath on Education, which aims at bringing our lives in harmony with all the existence. He said, a Holistic Approach was needed, which the NEP has achieved successfully.
He said the Policy was formulated keeping in mind two biggest questions: Whether our education system motivates our youth for Creative, Curiosity and Commitment Driven Life? And whether our education system empowers our youth, helps in building an Empowered Society in the country? He expressed satisfaction that the NEP takes care of these pertinent issues.
The Prime Minister said that India’s education system needs to change according to the changing times. The new structure of a 5 + 3 + 3 + 4 curriculum is a step in this direction, he added. He said that we have to ensure that our students become Global Citizens and also remain connected to their roots. He said the new education policy stresses on ‘How to think’. He said the emphasis on inquiry-based, discovery-based, discussion based, and analysis based learning methods for children will enhance their urge to learn and participate in the classes.
The PM said the NEP provides for a Credit Bank so that students can have the freedom to leave a course in between and utilise them later when they want to resume their courses.
The PM said that concepts like virtual labs are going to carry the dream of better education to millions of peers who could not read such subjects before, which required Lab Experiment. The Prime Minister felt the institute that does more work for quality education should be rewarded with more freedom.
The PM said that the policy focuses on developing a strong teaching system where teachers can in turn produce good professionals and good citizens. There is a great emphasis on teacher training in national education policy, they are constantly updating their skills, there is a lot of emphasis on this.
He said that a new round of dialogue and coordination with Universities, Colleges, School education boards, different states, different stakeholders is about to start from here. He urged to continue the webinar on National Education Policy and keep discussing it.
Addressing the participants, Pokhriyal thanked PM Modi for sharing his vision and thoughts on New Education Policy 2020 and the journey of making India a world leader in education. He said that the National Education Policy 2020 is the first education policy of the 21st century and aims to address the many growing developmental imperatives of our Country.
He added that a different perspective of education has been formulated in NEP 2020, wherein the target to be achieved are– complete brain development and learning at school level, a transformed, large and multidisciplinary vision of imparting knowledge at higher education level and finally creating an appropriate and hassle free education eco-system of transferring information& knowledge to the learners in New India.