The 12th edition of the ThinkEdu conclave kickstarted on a high note with the Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan stating that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 develops our youth to be rooted in Indian history and yet work for the challenges of the 21st century. The country must ensure that education reaches every last person and we should develop our youth as global citizens, he further said, delivering a video message on the topic — National Educational Policy: A Cultural Revolution on the first day of the ThinkEdu Concalve.
"The youth have to move from being job seekers to job creators. We must see how education can reach the last person. Only then, India can regain its status as Vishwaguru — the guiding light of the world. The goal is of improving ease of living for everyone and leaving no one behind in India's growth story and its journey towards becoming a Vikasit (Developed) Bharat," the minister said.
Read Also : NEP 2020 envisions an education system rooted in Indian ethos: Dharmendra Pradhan
Batting further for the NEP, he said it is a philosophical document that came after deliberation at all levels. "PM Modi has said NEP is not only the government's policy but the nation's policy. Education needs transformation to cater to the aspirations of billions across the world. NEP 2020 emphasises promoting multilingualism and all Indian languages. As per NEP, the medium of instruction in primary classes will be the mother tongue/local languages. This is to reiterate all languages are our national language," he said.
The union minister also invited participation in the Yuva Sangamam initiative, which was launched recently and focuses on organising exposure tours for the youth from north-eastern states to other states and vice versa. As a pilot, 1,000 youth will participate in the Yuva Sangam. It will provide an immense multi-dimensional experience regarding various facets of the country, he said.
Praising Tamil Nadu, he said that it has remained the hub of education and knowledge since ancient times. He said that the inscription in Uthiramerur village in Kancheepuram testifies to the historical fact that nearly 1,100 years ago, we had an elaborate and highly defined electoral system. "While democracies have evolved around the world over time, we have good reason to believe that our Motherland is the mother of democracy. India is one continuous civilisation for ages from Kashmir to Kanniyakumari. The recent Kasi Tamil Sangamam was a unique model of confluence in Benaras. It brought together diverse cultures and customs on a common platform connected together by the ancient and ever-lasting Sanatana Dharma," he said.
He thanked Prime Minister Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for allocating 1.12 lakh crore for education in the budget this year. "Education is essential for the betterment of the lives of people. At the core of it, education is for the service of humanity. This has been recognised by many saints, philosophers, leaders and educationists. We all understand it but somehow in the way, we keep missing this core purpose of education. NEP 2020 envisions an education system rooted in Indian ethos that contributes directly to transforming India into an equitable and vibrant knowledgeable society," he said.
He said that he was glad to be part of ThinkEdu which is happening at a time when India is at the cusp of a tectonic and transformational shift. "I would like to congratulate Prabhu Chawla and his team for organising the conclave. His decade-long persistence in the continuation of this conclave reflects his passion for India's education. I am also glad to launch EXRESS RIGHTings by Dr Vaidhyasubramaniam, VC of SASTRA University, this two-volume compilation of over 200 plus education articles from reputed English dailies like The New Indian Express is not only a phenomenal achievement but also an important policy vehicle for Indian education policy and progress," he said.
The ThinkEdu conclave was inaugurated on Thursday, February 9, with the lighting of the traditional lamp by Chairman and Managing Director of The New Indian Express (TNIE) group Manoj Kumar Sonthalia, CEO Lakshmi Menon, Editorial Director Prabhu Chawla, filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan and former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi at the ITC Grand Chola in Chennai.
Delivering the welcome address, Prabhu Chawla said that ThinkEdu Conclave has facilitated over 10,000 participants, 500 lectures spread over 1,600 hours of discussion so far. Stating that TNIE was the first newspaper to take education to the national stage, he said that discussions in the conclave helped to build pressure to Indianise the education system and also bring out the National Education Policy.
