Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that through the new National Educational Policy (NEP) 2020, India will be looking forward to a futuristic education system. He said this while addressing the 75th Amrut Mahotsav of Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul at Rajkot via video link on December 24, 2022.
In this regard, the PM said, "You know very well that for India's bright future, our existing education policy and institutes have a big role to play. Therefore, in this 'amrit kaal' of independence, whether it is about country's educational infrastructure or policy, we are engaged in work at every level at a fast pace."
Moreover, the number of premier educational institutions like IITs, IIITs, IIMs and AIIMS is increasing substantially. After 2014, there is a 65 per cent rise in the number of medical colleges, the PM said. "Through the new education policy, the country is for the first time preparing an education system which is forward-looking and futuristic," he added.
Further, he said, when the country became independent, it was our responsibility to revive India's ancient glory and our great pride in the field of education. "But under the pressure of the slave mentality, the governments did not move in that direction. And in some matters they went in the reverse direction. In these circumstances, once again our saints and acharyas took up the task of fulfilling this duty towards the country. Swaminarayan Gurukul is a living example of this opportunity," he added, as stated in a report by PTI.
Speaking about modern science, the PM said, "India showed light to humanity in those dark times, offering rays from which the journey of the modern world and modern science started." And about the importance of gurukuls, he said, "Our gurukuls have been like a garden of equality, affection and service for centuries. Universities like Nalanda and Takshashila used to be synonymous with the global glory of this gurukul tradition of India. Discovery and research — they were part of India's way of life. Today, the diversity and cultural prosperity we see in the country are results of the same discoveries and innovations."
The efforts of institutions like Sri Swaminarayan Gurukul will certainly be vital, he said. Having said that, he also urged Swaminarayan Gurukul to send 100-150 volunteers to north-eastern states for 15 days every year and meet youngsters there, introduce themselves and write about them, as stated in a report by PTI.
