Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that through the new National Education Policy (NEP), a forward-looking and futuristic education system is being created in the country for the first time.
PM Modi was addressing the 75th ‘Amrut Mahotsav’ of Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul at Rajkot via video link, he also said the number of IITs, IIMs, and medical colleges in the country has increased substantially after 2014, the year when his government came to power for the first time.
Hailing the ancient “gurukul” (residential schooling) system of education, the Prime Minister said that knowledge had been the highest purpose of life in the country and that saints and spiritual leaders helped revive the country’s lost glory in the field of education.
“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 the country’s educational infrastructure or policy, we are engaged in work at every level at a fast pace,” the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister noted that 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, he said, “under the pressure of a 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.”
Modi pointed out that the country’s gurukuls have been like a garden of equality, affection, and service for centuries. He said universities like Nalanda and Takshashila used to be synonymous with the global glory of this gurukul tradition of India.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the ideal citizens and youths raised on a better education system will work to realize the dream of a developed India in 2047 when India celebrates a century of independence, and the efforts of institutions like Shri Swaminarayan Gurukul will certainly be vital.
