New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the National Education Policy 2020 is meant for the needs of the 21st Century and to make India a global leader in science and technology. “NEP 2020 has been made multi-disciplinary and offers the flexibility of choosing various courses and allows multiple entry and exit points,” Modi said while addressing the convocation of IIT, Guwahati through video-conferencing on Tuesday.
PM Modi pointed out that the NEP also proposes a National Research Foundation for better coordination with all funding agencies regarding research funding and provide funds for all disciplines, be it science or humanities, according to a PIB release.
According to him, NEP allows foreign universities to set up their offshore campuses in India, which would give global exposure to Indian students. “NEP will establish India as major education destination to the World,” he said.
Modi also elaborated that all the knowledge including science is a means to solve the problems. He was particularly proud of the way institutions like IITs are advancing today and said this energy for innovation to serve has kept our country alive for thousands of years.
He urged the youth to be future-ready and future-fit. “It’s their dreams and aspirations which shape the future of India. He expressed happiness that IIT Guwahati has already started making efforts towards this direction,” Modi said.
The PM lauded the institute’s contribution towards making the country self-reliant despite the difficulty in conducting academic sessions and continuing research work, during the pandemic.
He also said the North-East region is the centre for India’s Act East Policy and gateway to India’s relations with South-East Asia. “The mainstay of relations with these countries have been Culture, Commerce, Connectivity and Capacity. He said education is going to be another new medium and IIT Guwahati can become its major centre. This will also give the North East a new identity and new opportunities will also arise here,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister urged IIT Guwahati to establish a Centre for Disaster management and risk reduction so that it can provide expertise in dealing with the disasters of the region.