Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM’s address at the Conference on Academic Leadership on Education for Resurgence
On stage, the Chairman of the Conference Shr Ram Bahadur Rai Ji, my cabinet colleagues Shri Prakash Javadekar ji and Dr. Satyapal Singh ji, UGC Chairman Dr. Dhirendra Pratap Singh ji, Chairman of the Research for Resurgence Foundation Shri Sachchidanand Joshi, IGNOU's Chancellor Dr. Nageshwar Rao, Chancellors, Vice Chancellors and Directors from Central, State and private universities who have come to attend the conferance, all the eminent personalities from the education sector, brothers and sisters.
Today, all of you have gathered here for a meaningful discussion on Academic Leadership on Education for Resurgence. First of all I would like to congratulate all of you for raising these important issues. It is extremely important to discuss and brainstorm these issues for the future India or the New India and it is the need of the hour. When I think of the terms like 'resurgence', the first thing that comes to my mind is the image of Swami Vivekananda ji. Several decades back, it was Swami Vivekananda who had presented the power of India's philosophy before the resurgent world. This was the time when the world had forgotten or rather was made to forget our country's capabilities, contribution, hard work and power. I would like to begin with Swami Vivekananda ji's words. He had said something really important about education that I believe can be the guiding principle for today's summit. Vivekananda has said that we needed a perfect, comprehensive and holistic education that would make us complete human beings. Education is not just the information that has been injected into your minds. We must assimilate the thoughts or ideas in such a way so as to create life, spread humanity and build character. These are Vivekananda ji's ideas. And if I talk of resurgence today, there is nothing beyond this. With the passage of time, a few more things get added to this. But these three tenets are the basic idea. These three elements are the three pillars of education today - building lives, humanity and shaping the character. Inspired by Swami ji's ideas, I am attempting to add another pillar to it because it is the need of the hour; so the fourth one is 'innovation'. Life stops without innovation. No era, time period or system can work without innovation. One of the aims for life to move on is innovation. And life subsides without innovation. Then the systems, ideas, life and traditions - everything becomes burdensome. If we think about reviving our higher education by taking these four aspects into consideration, then we will be able to see the right direction; the direction that will benefit not only the lives of the people but also in nation building and will attend to the society's needs. Moreover, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore had explained about this direction of education in that very time period but in a different way. Therefore, he had said that every person takes birth with a goal. Education plays a crucial role in achieving that goal. Extending this topic, I would say that just like the life of a person, an institution or an organization must be born with a definite goal and then there should be a formula in the instrument and practice.
Friends,
When it comes to knowledge, school and student, I would like to draw your attention to our nation's glorifying ancient traditions. The base of our culture is the Vedas. You all are aware of the fact that the word 'Veda' has originated from the Sanskrit root 'Vid' that literally means 'book of knowledge'. The word 'Vidya' or knowledge has been derived from 'Vid'. That is, we cannot imagine the society, our country or even our lives without knowledge.
Friends,
Knowledge and education cannot be limited to just books. The objective of education must be to ensure a balanced development of every dimension of each person. And you all know that innovation is mandatory for a balanced development. In our ancient universities like Takshashila, Nalanada and Vikramshila, innovation too was emphasized along with knowledge. That is why these universities had produced several great scholars like Acharya Chanakya, Aryabhatta, Panini, Dhanvantari, Charak and Sushruta. Had they been satisfied with only the bookish knowledge, would the world have received the political philosophy, astronomy, surgery, mathematics and grammar? I don't think so. Therefore, when it comes to 'Education for Resurgence', there has to be freshness to the thoughts and the ideas.
Brothers and sisters,
The three great personalities of our country had similar views on education and bookish knowledge viz. Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia. They had seen the reflection of character and welfare to the society in education. Baba Saheb Ambedkar had said - a characterless and an impolite educated person is more dangerous than a wild animal. If education of a well-educated person is against the welfare of the poor people, then that person becomes a curse to the society. Character is more significant than education. These are the words of Baba Saheb Ambedkar. Similarly, Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay ji, having associated social responsibilities to education had said that the society needed to educate each person properly, only then will he be able to fulfil his responsibilities towards the society. His thoughts were not limited to educational institutions; he also emphasized on the modern ideas of the role of society in education and the values imparted by one generation to the next generation. The country's seer Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia ji too used to say that education should be research based. He had said that education should be such that keeps the people, families, society and the nation together. We cannot imagine it this way that one circle is a person, the second circle is the family, the third circle is the society, the fourth circle is the state and the fifth circle is the nation. We are the people who link a person to the family and from the family it keeps on extending in the same stream of thread. We cannot think of a circle in isolation or that one circle is not connected with the other. If two circles are separate then it is impossible for the society to develop and expand ideologically. It is clear from the ideas of these three great thinkers of the country that if there is no objective of education then it is nothing more than a certificate hanging on a pole.
Friends,
We need to accept another reality that today no person, nation or society in this world can live in isolation. We need to think on the lines of global citizen and global village. This philosophy is prevalent in our culture since ancient times. When we talk of 'vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' and 'sarve bhavantu Sukhinaha', then this very concept of universal brotherhood or global village becomes a part of this philosophy. Following this vision, the government today is making relentless efforts and innovations to fulfil the objectives of education, connecting it to the society and resolving the issues related to the education sector.
Friends,
Today there are about 900 universities and higher educational institutions and also about 40,000 colleges in the country. You can imagine that we have the responsibility for such a great power. If we seek the support of these educational institutions in fighting against these challenges, then situations will completely change. What I mean is that we should work on the philosophy of 'interlink institutions to innovate and incubate'. The interlinking should be such that it connects the society with the institutions and also one institution with the other and overall it must associate with the dreams of the nation. Just imagine the kind of impact it will have, when a 20-22 year old student develops his thought process while studying for his degree keeping in mind the needs of the society. While working on his project, if he even thinks about its benefits for the society, then definitely its outcome will be positive.
Friends,
In case of higher education, we have to provide best quality ideas, best quality ethics, high values and the best behaviour as well as better solutions to the problems of the society. I urge the students while paying attention to their classrooms in colleges and universities; they should also connect with the country's expectations and aspirations. Walking on this path, the central government is striving to involve the educational institutions in fulfilling the needs of the country at every level. Like Javdekar ji was saying, with this vision, we had started Atal Tinkering Labs. Under this the focus is on increasing the inclination on innovation among the school children. So far more than 2000 schools of the country are having Atal Tinkering Labs and in the next few months we would increase their numbers to 5000. I, with the help of technology, video conferencing, had interacted with the students from different corners of the country working in these Atal Tinkering Labs. Those students were of 8th, 9th and 10th standards. I didn't feel like leaving that programme. I was supposed to attend many other events after that but I was amazed when these children were showing the experiments and telling me about what they did in the lab. That is, our children have tremendous potential. If they are given the opportunity and allowed to hone their inner strengths, the outcome will be beyond our imagination! We must not force them to do anything; that is the root of all the problems.
Our government is also focusing upon investment in the education sector. For example, we have started the RISE scheme i.e. Revitalising of Infrastructure and Systems in Education on a massive scale. Through this scheme, by 2022 when we will complete 75 years of independence, we have planned to spend about Rs.1 lakh crores. We have also set up HEFA i.e. Higher Education Funding Agency that will provide financial assistance for the formation of higher education institutions. The government has also made a decision to increase the budget for the National Higher Education Campaign by three times. Now Prakash ji was quoting figures but I want to go beyond that. These can prove to be effective steps in strengthening the higher education sector in the states.
Brothers and sisters,
In the last four years, several new IITs, IIMs, IISERs and IIITs as well as new central universities have been approved. The government has also brought a new policy, wherein 20 Institutes of Eminence will be set up within the country. Among these, 10 will be from public sector and 10 from the private sector. The aim of this policy is to help these educational institutes find a place among the world's best institutes. We are not so prominent in the top 500 at the global level. We need to change this situation and therefore, the government will spend approximately Rs.1000 crores on every public institution in the next few years. You all must be aware of the scheme Global Initiative for Academic Network i.e. GIAN scheme under which we are inviting the best teachers from all over the world to teach in Indian institutions.
Friends,
Our government favours the open flow of ideas in educational institutions. We have initiated this by giving autonomy to institutions like IIMs. I'm surprised this aspect is not being discussed in the country. I don't know why the scholars too are silent. Reforms have been made in IIMs. There are people who have been advocating for reforms for the past 20-25 years. They might not have thought that we would successfully do it with such great vigour. However, after these reforms were made, they were afraid to write good things about it lest the credit goes to Modi. So they have stopped writing about it. The reforms in IIMs have been such that they are allowed to decide their course, curriculum, appointment of teachers and board members and also decide their expansion. You have freedom to decide; show us what you can do; the government will not interfere; no bureaucrat will interfere. Now it's their responsibility to do it.
I believe this is an unprecedented experiment related to higher education in India and we need to extend this to the other institutes in the future. Recently, UGC has formulated Graded Autonomy Regulation whereby the universities and colleges have been granted autonomy. Its objective is not only to improve the level of education but also help them to emerge as the best institutions. Due to the regulation, 60 higher education institutions and universities have received grade autonomy. These also include many state universities. Amidst the efforts of the government, it is also your responsibility to take maximum possible advantage of this positive environment and the dreams must be fulfilled; let this time not be wasted. The most of you have tenure of 4-5 years. While working during these years, you must set some goals for yourselves. You need to think from day one of your tenure about your legacy after the end of your tenure. Several issues need attention that is essential for resurgence at higher education level. And you can make your contribution to develop new styles of teaching. Each day new technology emerges. Keeping pace with time, how can we further strengthen the teaching arrangements with the help of technology? How can we improve the hitherto neglected area of teachers’ training? We all will agree to this one thing that if you ask either the poorest of the poor, peons, drivers, labourers or the richest of the rich about what their dreams are; then one common dream will be to get best education for their children. The rich desires to have best teachers and school for their children; similarly the poorest of the poor desires best educational system for his children. Now this is not possible without a teacher and everyone looks for a good teacher. And therefore, our focus should also be on the fact that how our society can get the best teachers? And we need teachers with missionary zeal. Our institutions produce wonderful CEOs of big companies around the world. We feel extremely proud if someone from a particular institution of our country becomes the CEO of some big industry or business world in some other country. However, I will be happier if a teacher of an Indian institution produces 50 scientists or 50 doctors for the country. I feel this is the greatest need of the hour. If you meet a great writer or listen to a great poet, you will find that even though their thoughts, ideas and words might be personal with the blessings of goddess Saraswati; but one thing is common. Their creation originates from their experience of life or their compassion towards the society and sometimes from their dreams. These are not merely a combination of words; the emotions and concepts take shapes into words and emerge as a poetic composition or literary piece. In this way, a creative piece of work is born. It might either be written with the pen or typed on a computer, but compassion towards the society is its base. There is an essence of life's experience and only after that the composition comes up. Therefore, it is the need of the hour to know how understanding the circumstances of the society can become a part of the educational system. This is possible only when education also extends beyond the classroom. In ancient times, under the Gurukul system, the students were asked to go and collect wood. The sons of Kings and monarchs were also students of the Gurukul. It was not difficult for that institution to get wood but even the son of a king was asked to go and get wood so as to instill values and to help gain experience. The aim was to help the students get exposure, face and understand the challenges of the society. Similarly, it is indispensable to extend education beyond the classroom boundaries for the students. They can go to the nearby localities and observe or assess the issue of malnutrition in the nearby slums. Some children do not get sufficient vaccines. Sometimes drugs gradually enter the families of the poor. What are the reasons behind the dropping out of the children who later take the wrong way? Their familiarity with this image of the society is equally important.
Just think about it; if the college students visit their nearby slum areas and create awareness about just one thing, it will bring about a sea change. For example, they can tell the children repeatedly- children, don't eat food without washing your hands. This is a small action but will bring about a big change. I am not asking you all to prepare budget, do bidding or reforms or to fill forms. I am just asking you to connect. Awareness campaigns can be innovative and creative. Such campaigns will not only strengthen the lives of the students but also protect the lives of many poor children.
I was in Benares a few days back. It is my Lok Sabha constituency. And I met some youngsters from Kashi University. I am not sure if their Vice Chancellor has ever met them or not but I had got the opportunity to meet them. Those youngsters had started an organization named 'Try to Fight' about 4-5 years ago. It had started with 3-4 boys and now it has grown to a large group with several boys and girls.
These youngsters were concerned about the children who were engaged in rag picking and they felt that these children should be educated. They took time out from their studies and made an effort to take the children to school. They started teaching them working hard. Today in Benares this young institution is engaged in educating more than 1000 poor children. I met those children and those youngsters. Such children are born in the families where the mother is engrossed in her work, the father is busy with his work and the child has its own world. The children are into wrong things. They have managed to pull these children out of it. I saw a beautiful painting of a little girl. She was endowed with this talent by God. They gifted that painting to me and I asked the little girl if anyone from her family draws... But she said 'No,No. I used to do it just like that but when these people came, they brought paper and pens with them and now I am doing it on that’.
See, the students of that University could have formed Union and joined politics or movements but they chose this path and changed the lives of 1000 children. I believe that they not only changed the lives of those thousand children but their own lives changed in a major way as they understood compassion.
The more the youngsters associate with such organizations working for the welfare of the society and engage in innovative experiments, the more these poor and deprived children will benefit. Such kinds of work do not require huge budget or financial support but motivate both the college students and the slum children. Both the groups will connect with each other. However, our country is unfortunate in one way. Forgive me and please don't mind. When we were in school our teacher used to ask us to write a note on any social service done by us. Probably you too were asked to do the same. Write about any social service done by you today. And 90 out of the 100 students used to write, I helped a visually impaired person to cross the road. Now see, all the 90 students used to write the same story which means they were getting habituated to write lies and we never even stopped them from doing so. It's a small village, where will you find such heavy traffic and the need to cross a road? This has been the trend and probably is continuing even today.
What I mean is that this was a result of lack of innovation. This trend began because they wanted to impart values of social service but later it became a ritual and became lifeless. It was a compulsion to write, fill the page and the teacher didn't have time to read it. The content didn't matter as long as the page was filled.
I believe that there is a need for a change. I believe that most of you might be aware that after the formation of this government, I had made another effort. I have a rule that whenever I attend the convocation ceremony of any University, a letter goes from my office to that University saying that I will come but my 50 special guests will also attend. There must be a special row in the front for accommodating them. This is my usual request. Those 50 guests are the students of the government schools living in the slums of that particular area. They are from classes 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th. I introduce all of them to the audience of that convocation. I want to impart values to those children, and, ‘seeing is believing’! That poor child is just used to seeing the environment of his slum but when he sees the huge campus of the University and the students dressed up like that with the hats and collect their certificates, the seed within him starts growing. He imagines that he too will go to that dais one day and he too will be given certificates. It helps in sowing the seeds of their dreams.
It's a small thing. It's not that change comes from a budget. Change comes from the intention; it begins with being associated with a cause and success comes from engaging with it. We must move ahead with this resolution. Therefore, whenever I am with the scholars of the educational sector, I, without fail, emphasize on one thing and that is 'city based excellent centres'. Every institution also has to take up the responsibility of developing an ecosystem of problem-solution to the education sector. And I would like to give you an example of the same.
The students can be entrusted with the work of making the people around them digitally literate. They can familiarize the people around them with schemes like Ayushman Bharat, UJALA, Swachh Bharat Mission. They can make their lives easier. The students can teach the people in their localities about water conservation, electricity and environment.
The educational institutions can make a list of all such work and can cooperate with each other. I suggest that along with teachers and students even the parents and the alumni can be involved in this work. When education gets linked to this work at every level of the society, you can imagine the level of increase in the youngsters' capabilities and understanding.
Brothers and sisters,
The country's youth have brought international recognition for Brand India by their capability. Students passed out of different universities, IITs, IIMs and medical colleges within the country have brought glory to the country abroad. Several of them are running big companies of the world. We all are well acquainted to the fact that the country's youth doesn't lack ideas. I have a belief that if there are millions and millions of problems, there are billions and billions of solutions to the problems.
This too is true that every big company of the world today was once a start-up. Keeping that in mind, the government is now running schemes like start-up India, Stand-up India and Skill India. I am also convinced that in the future, our youth will become world leaders in the areas of artificial intelligence, machine learning, 5G technology, block chain and big data analysis. We all know that our country is the largest pool of technical human resources. We are second largest in terms of start-up ecosystem in the world. We are ceaselessly progressing in innovative index.
All these conditions are favourable to both the youth and education institutions of our country, and therefore, we all need to work together to develop social sciences and innovative temperament in the youth of the country.
Friends,
Resurgence is possible only when we all take one step ahead. Moreover, even though there are efforts to eliminate flaws of resurgence through research, but at the same time, we must bring about a change in consistence with the new age.
It's not just about eliminating weaknesses. For example, we are sick so we want to be free from the disease. That should not be the case. We must also strive to be healthier. That should be our intention. I urge all the eminent personalities of the education sector to strengthen the foundation of the country for building a New India and to infuse better self-confidence in the country's youth. With this expectation, I once again congratulate you all for this important initiative. With all the debates, discussions and brainstorming, I believe, new things will emerge. I am sure you are those who are associated with the past. You are those who move towards the best future by working hard towards their dreams. Such a group always produces best results.
I believe that these thought processes and efforts will definitely produce significant results for the country in the future. With this expectation, I once again congratulate you all for this effort. My best wishes to you all.
Thank you!