PM’s speech at inauguration of Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam in Varanasi
Speaker: Narendra Modi
Date: 07 Jul, 2022

The Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Smt. Anandiben Patel, the popular Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ji, my cabinet colleague Dharmendra Pradhan ji, Chairman of the National Education Policy Drafting Committee, K. Kasturirangan ji, other ministers of the government, all the Vice Chancellors, directors of educational institutions, teachers and educationists participating in this conference and ladies and gentlemen, ‘Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam’ is being organized on the holy land, where an important university of the country was established before independence. This congregation is taking place at a time when the country is celebrating the Amrit Mahotsav of its independence. The great responsibility of fulfilling the virtuous resolutions of the country during ‘Amrit Kaal’ lies on our education system, on our young generation. It is also written in the Upanishads विद्यया अमृतम् अश्नुते i.e., knowledge leads to immortality and nectar. Kashi is also called the city of salvation because the only way of liberation is considered to be knowledge. Therefore, when such a great churning of education and research, learning and understanding, happens in the important centre of knowledge in Kashi, the nectar emanating from it will surely give a new direction to the country.On this occasion, I bow at the feet of Mahamana (Madan Mohan) Malaviya ji and wish you all the best for this event. I am an MP from Kashi. Since you have come to Kashi, so in a way I am also your host. You are also my guests. I am sure that you will not have many problems as everyone must have tried his best to make better arrangements. But still if there is any shortcoming, then the fault will be mine. And being a host, I apologize in advance if there is any inconvenience. Friends, I have come here after attending an event. There was a centralized kitchen for mid-day meals there and I got an opportunity to interact with the children of 10-12 years of age of the government school in Kashi. I would like to share with you what I heard from them. I would also like to meet the teachers of the students whom I met today when I come here next time. You must be wondering why this thought came to my mind. I had just 10-15 minutes to spend with them, but it left a lasting impression on my mind because of the talent, confidence and diversity among the students of a government school who come from a very ordinary background. Such was their talent that if your grandson also possessed such talent, you would also be bound to tell him to demonstrate that talent whenever any guests visit you. What I mean to say is that this potential and ability of the present generation will take them to the positions that you hold now. By then, you will not be there but the institutes that you create will welcome such talented children in the time to come. You have a bigger responsibility to ensure that they do not miss out on anything there. I am sure that the discussions over the next three days here will give an effective direction to the implementation of the National Education Policy. Friends, As you are aware the basic premise of the National Education Policy is to take education out of narrow thinking and to integrate it with the modern ideas of the 21st century. There was never a dearth of intellect and talent in our country. But, unfortunately, we inherited a system where education meant only securing jobs. During their rule, the British provided this education system to prepare a servant class for themselves to meet their needs. Though there were minor changes in it after independence, much remained unchanged. The system created by the British was never part of Indian ethos and it can’t be. If we look at the ancient times of our country, we had the concept of different arts in education. And Banaras is a living example of this. Banaras was the center of knowledge not only because it had good Gurukuls and educational institutions. Banaras was the center of knowledge because knowledge and education here was multi-dimensional and multi-sector. This diversity in education should also be the source of inspiration for our education system. We should not only create degree-holder youth, but prepare an education system which should provide whatever human resources needed for the country to move forward. Our teachers and educational institutions should take a lead in this resolve. The faster our teachers imbibe this spirit, the more the youth and the students will benefit and so will be the future of the country. Friends, The creation of new systems, the inclusion of modern systems, is equally important for a new India. What has never happened before and the goals that the country did not even imagine to achieve are actually being realized in today’s India. Now you see, not only did we recover rapidly from such a big pandemic of Corona, today India is one of the fastest growing economies of the world. Today we are the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world. Areas such as space technology which were only the domain of the government earlier have been thrown open to the private players. Now a new world is being prepared for the youth and the whole space is within their reach, friends. Today the sectors, which were barred for daughters of the country earlier, are exemplifying their talent. Friends, When the mood and the pace of the country is such then we also have to instill new energy in our youth so that it can give wings to their dreams. Until now, schools, colleges and books used to decide the direction of the children. But now the responsibility on the youth has increased even more after the National Education Policy. And with this, our responsibility too has increased to continuously encourage the dreams and flight of the youth and understand their mind and aspirations.Only then will we be able to prepare them. Gone are the days when the youths of the country were imposed anything without recognizing their talent. We have to always keep this in mind that we have to prepare education, institutions and human resource development according to their needs. The focus of the new education policy is to make the children skilled according to their talents and choices. The education policy is preparing the ground so that our youth are skilled, confident, practical and calculative. Friends, In the midst of rapid changes in the country, I will give you an example of how important is the role of the education system and all the great people associated with it. I would like to share my experience during my initial years as Chief Minister of Gujarat. When I became Chief Minister, I had no experience of governance. This responsibility came all of a sudden. I mooted an idea. I told all my secretaries that they were the chief ministers of their respective departments. I told them to explain to me how and where they would take their departments in the next five years. What would be your achievement and how would it benefit the common people of Gujarat? I told them to give me a detailed presentation of their vision.I told this to the secretaries of all the departments and every day at five o’clock in the evening all the ministers of my council of ministers and the secretaries used to meet. One of the secretaries would give a detailed presentation of his department and that used to be debated. All the secretaries used to be present in that meeting. There used to be debates and our ministers would also take part in it. I would hear them and try to learn. This program went on for about a month. It would begin at five o’clock in the evening and would continue till 10 p.m. It was a very intense program. Perhaps this must have happened for the first time in the history of India. So one day there was a presentation related to the industry. They were detailing everything regarding the industries and where they saw industrial development in the next few years. The moment the program ended, the education secretary came to me because he was to make the presentation the next day. He told me that he would not be able to make the presentation the next day. I asked him for the reason because he was asked to give his presentation a month ago and he was expressing his inability to make the presentation at the last moment. He said that he was prepared and could also make the presentation but he felt that it was of no match after watching the presentation of industrial development. He said both the departments were going in opposite directions. He sought time to modify his presentation in the light of the presentation on industrial development and said only then could both academia and industry work in the direction of inclusive growth. We should also be aware of other universities of the world and in which direction they are moving. Where does our country figure? Where do our youths figure? How I am preparing the youth who would be in charge of India in the next 15-20 years. This is our enormous responsibility, friends. And on the same lines, all our educational institutions also need to ask themselves whether they are future ready. Is it only my duty to take exams and hold convocations or should I create such an institution whose students would be playing an important role in the completion of 100 years of the country’s independence?All of you need to take care of the present. You have to carry forward the work of your predecessors. And those who are working today will have to think about the future and develop systems accordingly. As I said earlier, I met some of the students today and experienced their curiosities. You must also be experiencing the same thing at your home when your little grandchildren ask you questions. You also have to think a while to answer their questions. Sometimes, you may feel that he is pestering you. But he is not pestering you. In fact, you are unable to answer him. All of you must have experienced this in your homes. Today’s generation comes up with many questions after going through Google. They question your wisdom because they go by what Google offers. The child counters you. What would happen to you if these children come to your university after 10 years? We have to prepare ourselves from now on. You are experiencing mismatches with your children even at home. It would be a great injustice if we are not able to live up to the young generation which would be there in the schools and colleges with a new thinking. Therefore, it is necessary that we understand the future and develop systems accordingly. I went to see an exhibition in Gandhinagar a few days back under the Digital India campaign. There were children from government schools. There were children in the 10th, 11th and 12th class. I was impressed by the work of these children looking at their projects and ideas. I was stunned to see their research potential and their innovations at such a young age. Many children were interested in biotech and genetics. At a time when they are taught the fundamentals of science in their class, they were talking about gene mapping, affinity chromatography and genetic library based tools. Now imagine how big the difference is.Looking at their work, I was wondering if our institutes will be prepared according to their modern thinking when they go for higher education. If we wait for these children to reach their higher education, by then the world will go a long way, friends. Therefore, we have to plan now to provide guidance and resources at this age when the children are motivated. We should work on creating such a system in our institutions. Friends, The National Education Policy is going to complete two years at the end of this month, i.e., on July 29. And just now Dharmendra ji was telling us that this education policy was made after a lot of brainstorming. Kasturirangan ji provided very able leadership and it became possible due to him. The acceptance of the National Education Policy in such a diverse country is a great achievement in itself. It is a great accomplishment. But look at its specialty. There was a lot of brainstorming behind it. And as it happens with the governments, once a document is ready it is left at the mercy of time and some persons. The document adorns the table for a few days. Then a new document comes and replaces it. The matter ends there. You too must have the same experience of this culture. But we didn’t let that happen. We have kept this National Education Policy alive every moment. I myself have probably attended at least 25 seminars in such a short time. I think there must be over 25 seminars and I have been regularly speaking on this subject. Kasturirangan ji himself is constantly communicating with people from all walks of life after submitting this report. He has been explaining the clarifications, vision and all the background information of this policy. All the departments of the government are constantly reaching out to various people. It has come about after 30 years and can’t be merely treated as any other document.Though you may have read all the pages, you will come across many nuances when you brainstorm this policy for the next three days. At the end of this congregation, make a plan to have similar continuous brainstorming in your universities. Don’t go away just by listening to what is said here. You should discuss this policy with the rest of your companions and only then will it be beneficial. And we should keep paying attention to every detail on the challenges for its implementation. Friends, When someone takes work in his own hands, then the solution of problems also emerges faster. If someone only considers it as a problem and does not make efforts then a solution can never be found. Friends! The country has taken many concrete steps towards implementing the National Education Policy in these two years. In the meantime, workshops on important topics like Access, Quality and Future Readiness have also helped a lot. The discussions with the academicians of the country and abroad and my interactions with the education ministers of the country have also speeded up the process. Just a few days ago, our Dharmendra ji also called a meeting of education ministers from all over the country. It was discussed with them the way we are discussing it with you. Continuous efforts are being made to ensure its 100 percent implementation? The state governments have also taken several important steps in this direction at their own level. And it is the result of everyone’s efforts that the country, especially the youth of the country, are becoming a participant in this important change. Friends, Major infrastructure overhaul has been carried out in the education sector of the country for the new National Education Policy. Today a large number of new colleges and universities are opening and new IITs and IIMs are being established. Since 2014, the number of medical colleges in the country has increased by 55 percent. In order to give better opportunities to the youth, Common University Entrance Test (CUET) has also been implemented from this year for uniform standards across universities. Many more such reforms have been carried out. It is the result of these efforts that the number of Indian institutions in the World University Rankings is gradually increasing. This change is only the beginning. We still have a long way to go in this direction. Friends, I am also satisfied that the National Education Policy is now opening the way for studies in the mother tongue. Accordingly, ancient Indian languages like Sanskrit are also being promoted. I can see special arrangements have also been made here for the people associated with Sanskrit. This beginning from the land of Kashi will surely serve to give new energy to Indian languages and resolutions. Friends, I have full faith that India can emerge as a major center of global education in the world in the near future. India can not only become an education destination for the youth of the world, but also new opportunities can be created for our youth in other countries of the world. Therefore, we have to prepare our education system as per international standards. The country is also making continuous efforts in this direction. New guidelines have been issued to prepare higher education according to international standards. Special offices for international affairs have also been established in about 180 higher education institutions. I would like all of you not only to have necessary discussions in this direction, but also try to familiarize with the arrangements outside India. These new systems will also help in connecting India’s education system with international experiences. Friends, You will be discussing many important topics spread over different sessions in the next three days. I would like this discussion to pave the way for new avenues for the country in different fields and guide the younger generation. Many countries of the world owe their progress in different fields to universities. Universities constantly conduct research on socio-economic and scientific subjects, giving suggestions to the government. We need to develop the same culture and methodology here too. This gives the young generation an understanding of the country and the policies of the country and they also become aware of numerous possibilities. I have always believed that more and more new systems should be aligned with the innovative thinking and new ideas of the youth of the country. It leads to fresh talent and new ideas. I would like all of you to discuss this also and prepare a roadmap. How universities can partner with the government in different areas can also be discussed. You have to decide your own expertise. You should conduct surveys and studies in your field and give suggestions to the government. What are the problems faced by the general public in the 50-100 km radius of your university? What are the solutions? What are resources? What can be done for those resources? What is the attitude of ordinary people there? Your students will get a project and there will be a great report in this regard. A better report can be made regarding any scheme of the government, its advantages, shortcomings, and possibilities of improvement. If all these things are taken seriously by the government, there can be unprecedented results. I remember when I was in Gujarat there was a program in Sardar Patel University. The officials of Sardar Patel University had prepared some books after doing a lot of research in rural development. They gifted those books to me. I found them very interesting as I read those books. I gave a task to the department. I told the officials to find out the difference between what the children were saying and how the government was moving ahead as far as rural development is concerned. You will be surprised that there were many issues which really helped me in our projects for rural development. It was the task given to the students by the teachers. It is very difficult to make decisions while sitting in the air conditioned rooms. Our new generation which hits the ground gets very good results. For that matter, we have Agriculture University which conducts research in labs. No matter how good it works, it gets a certificate and its article is published in an international magazine. Even if it gets a degree, the entire research will remain in the lab. We should also have a roadmap for ‘lab to land’. What is there in the lab should be implemented in the land. Similarly, those who hit the ground have great experience. The experience of the ground realities should also be used in the labs. We can consider steps on how to enrich research and the traditional experience. Similarly, it is with the knowledge of traditional medicine i.e., Ayurveda. Neither you nor I will challenge it. But there are many countries of the world which are ahead of us in traditional medicine. This is because in today’s time both results and proof are needed.For example, if we say that this herb is very useful and we get the desired results. We get the results but there is no proof, and therefore, we must have proofs along with results. We must have a database. We should have a complete record of it, from where and how the change took place. We cannot change the world based on emotions. It cannot be presented as a model before the world. Therefore, despite the results, the need for proof is very important in today’s world.Therefore, our universities which are familiar with the results but lack proofs need to make mechanisms and develop systems and traditions in this regard. And it is not possible without your help. Our universities can do research on evidence-based traditional medicine very well. Friends, Our demographic dividend is our biggest strength. We also discuss it, but is there any university which has studied this demographic dividend? What kinds of steps were taken by the world when such an opportunity of demographic dividend arose? How did the universities in those countries react to it and how did they benefit? Though we keep repeating it, why should we not work on the possibilities of demographic dividend? How can we use this potential for the country for the coming 20-25-30 years? Look at the condition of the countries of the world, even the richest of the rich countries are troubled by the fact that the age of the people is increasing there. Aging is the problem and the younger generation is almost missing. The elders form a huge bulk of the population.They are unable to run the countries. Now this cycle is such that everyone has to face it. Today our country is young, but our country will also have to face the problem of aging when there will be less number of young people and the number of elderly people will be more. Those days will come. Is there anyone in the world who has found ways to solve the problems of old age? How are they solving problems in the absence of youth? Which mechanism has been developed so that things are moving forward very smoothly? All these issues should be the innate nature of our universities. I believe there is a good scope for research and work in this regard for universities. If these projects are given to children, they develop a vision. They also get the opportunity to understand new things. Now there is such a huge discussion about climate change. We have unlimited possibilities in the field of climate change. Now there is a scheme called CDRI in our country. In the event of climate change, our infrastructure should be such that it can withstand the vagaries of climate and should be resilient. Now how can we move forward without research on it? Earlier such systems were developed so that there were neither so much flood, nor so much rain. Nature also supported us and we also supported Nature. Now we are doing just the opposite. Therefore, we need to make arrangements on how to live in the face of this new crisis. Today the entire world is moving towards solar power. India is fortunate that it is bestowed with a blazing sun. How will we utilize the sun? How do we make this power a part of our life system? Solar power has been given so much importance in the policies of the Government. But we need to do a lot of work to use this energy through new research. Similarly, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has been embodied by everybody. There should not be any compromise regarding Swachh Bharat. But things don’t end there. Unless we make plans towards Waste to Wealth, what can be the circular economy of this waste which is generated, what can be its best product, no progress can be made. Universities can research it. The new generation can make experiments on how to make the best out of the waste? How do we strengthen the circular economy? There are many areas which are open for our students today, especially at the local level, in this regard. Today the country is also making new achievements in the field of sports with new confidence. New sports universities are being developed. But our universities should not have this feeling that their students have nothing to do with sports since there are special sports universities. The grounds of our universities should be buzzing with students in the evening. Such an environment should be created in the universities so that the children find it difficult to rush to their homes immediately after the classes. Our universities can set these targets. Every university can set targets for the gold medals for its students. Why should these not be the targets of our universities?How to prepare the students in the universities in the field of sports so that they can play in other countries? They will get the necessary exposure. Friends, I am sharing these stray thoughts with you because there are immense opportunities in the new National Education Policy. What we didn’t have in previous years has now been presented due to the National Education Policy. It is our job to take it forward. Friends, We all have to remember that the leadership of the National Education Policy is in your hands to build the future of the country. I am sure that the elixir of your brainstorming and your suggestions in the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam will give a new direction to the country. You have to prepare the youth with whom you spend your time, not for the present, but for tomorrow. If you want to prepare them for tomorrow, you have to prepare for the year ahead. If you are ready for the coming year, then you have to prepare the institute for the next 100 years. Only then can you achieve this task. With this spirit you are on this holy land of Kashi and on the banks of the Mother Ganges. The cultural tradition gives us new consciousness and inspiration. Some nectar points from that tradition will come in your destinies too which will help the young boys and girls of your universities in shaping the bright future of India in the ‘Amrit Kaal’. I once again thank the department for this program. You all have participated in it with enthusiasm and zeal. I am sure you will not get tired in the next three days. I was watching the program while seated. I have no idea what will happen to you after three days. But since you belong to the academic world, you will definitely take it forward. I wish you all the best. Thanks a lot!