Education Is Not Merely A Process Of Teaching And Learning
PM Modi said after Independence, universities played a crucial role in giving concrete shape to the emotional swell of post-independence India by creating a strong generation of talented youngsters.
NEW DELHI, June 30 (The CONNECT) – Noting that the Industry 4.0 Revolution is knocking on India’s doors, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the new generation should be future-ready.
The Industry 4.0 Revolution is knocking on India’s doors and technologies like AI, AR and VR which could only be witnessed in the movies have now become a part of our real lives, Modi said speaking at the Valedictory Ceremony of Centenary Celebrations of the University of Delhi.
He noted that Robotics has become the new normal from driving to surgery and said that all these sectors are creating new avenues for the young generation of India. In the past years, India has opened its space and defence sector and made huge changes in the policies related to drones which have provided a chance to move forward for the youth.
“Our new generation should be future-ready, have the temperament to accept and face challenges, this is possible only through the vision and mission of the educational institution”, the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister took a metro ride to reach University of Delhi. He also interacted with the students during the journey. Upon arriving, the Prime Minister took a walkthrough of the exhibition – Journey of 100 Years. He also witnessed Saraswati Vandana and University Kulgeet presented by the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts.
Modi emphasized that education is not merely a process of teaching but also a way of learning. He pointed out that after a long time, the focus is shifting to what a student wants to learn. He talked about the flexibility in the new National Education Policy for selecting subjects. Talking about the improvement of the quality and infusion of competitiveness among the institutions, the Prime Minister mentioned the National Institutional Ranking Framework which is motivating the institutions. He also pointed out the effort to link the autonomy of the institutions with the quality of education.
Due to the futuristic educational policies and decisions, he said, recognition of Indian universities is increasing. He informed that while in 2014, in the QS world ranking there were only 12 Indian universities, today this number has reached 45. He credited India’s youth force as the guiding force for this transformation. The Prime Minister hailed today’s youth for transcending the concept of education being limited to placement and degrees. He said that they want to blaze their own trail and presented more than one lakh startups, 40% more patent filing as compared to 2014-15 and a rise in the Global Innovation Index as proof of this thinking.
The Prime Minister highlighted the deal on the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology or iCET with the USA during his recent visit and said that it will create new opportunities for the youth of India in various sectors ranging from AI to semiconductors. He said that it will enable access to technologies which were once beyond the reach of our youth and enhance skill development. The Prime Minister informed that companies like Micron, Google, Applied Materials etc. have decided to invest in India and it provides a glimpse of the bright future for the youth.
“The universities and educational institutions of any nation present a reflection of its achievements”, he said. In the 100-year-old journey of DU, the Prime Minister continued, there have been many historic landmarks which have connected the lives of many students, teachers and others. He remarked that Delhi University is not just a university but a movement, and it has filled every single moment with life. The Prime Minister congratulated every student, teacher and those associated with Delhi University on the Centenary Celebrations.
He said after Independence, universities played a crucial role in giving concrete shape to the emotional swell of post-independence India by creating a strong generation of talented youngsters. Delhi University too played a major part in that, he said. This understanding of the past gives shape to our existence, shape to our ideals and expansion to the vision of the future, he said.
“When the resolve of an individual or an institution is towards the country, then its achievements are equated with the achievements of the nation”, the Prime Minister remarked.
A section of the DU audience for PM’s address
Modi pointed out that there were only 3 colleges under Delhi University when it began but today there are more than 90 colleges under it. He also underlined that India which was once considered a fragile economy has now become one of the top 5 economies in the world.
Noting that the number of women studying at DU is more than men, the Prime Minister pointed out that the gender ratio has significantly improved in the country. He emphasized the importance of an interconnection between the resolutions of a University and a nation and said that the deeper the roots of the educational institutions, the higher the progress of the country.
The Prime Minister noted that the goal of Delhi University was India’s independence when it first began, but now that the institution will complete 125 years when India reaches 100 years of independence, the goal of Delhi University should be to make India a ‘Viksit Bharat’. “The third decade of the last century gave new momentum to the struggle for India’s independence, now the third decade of the new century will give impetus to the development journey of India”, the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister indicated the large number of upcoming universities, colleges, IITs, IIMs and AIIMS. “All these institutes are becoming the building blocks of new India,” he added.
The Prime Minister said that Indian values like democracy, equality and mutual respect are becoming human values, creating new opportunities for Indian youth at fora like government and diplomacy. He also emphasized that the focus on History, culture and heritage is also creating new opportunities for the youth.
He gave the example of tribal museums being set up in different states of the country and the development journey of independent India being presented through the PM Museum. He also expressed delight that the world’s largest heritage museum – ‘Yuge Yugeen Bharat’ is also going to be built in Delhi.
The Prime Minister also recognized the growing recognition of Indian teachers and mentioned how world leaders have often told him about their Indian teachers. “This soft power of India is becoming a success story of the Indian youth”, he said.
He asked the universities to prepare their mindset for this development. He asked them to prepare a roadmap for this and asked Delhi University that when they celebrated 125 years, they should figure among the top-ranking universities in the world. “Future making innovations should be done here, world’s best ideas and leaders should emerge from here, for this you will have to work continuously”, the Prime Minister said.
