Education without aim no better than mere certificate: Modi
New Delhi, Sep 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday stressed on innovation in education and character-building as its goal, saying that education without aim is nothing more than a certificate hanging on one's wall.
The Prime Minister, while inaugurating the 'Conference on Academic Leadership on Education for Resurgence', recalled Swami Vivekananda's emphasis on self-reliance, character-building, and human values, as elements of education.
"When there is no innovation in life, it ceases to move. There cannot ever be any time, any era, or any system, which can sustain without innovation. One is forced to carry life like a burden if one fails to innovate," Modi said while addressing Vice Chancellors and Directors of over 350 higher education institutions.
Speaking on 'resurgence' of education he said the nature of education should be such that it accommodates one's own needs and also becomes useful to the society.
"If education is acquired without any goal then it is nothing more that a certificate hanging on one's wall," he said.
Referring to the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Act, which entitled IIMs to decide their course fees, syllabi, and hiring of faculty, Modi said he was surprised by the academic fraternity's silence on the reform.
"I am surprised that no academic is talking about this. The reforms that we did with IIMs are unprecedented in the history of higher education in India," he said.
The University Grants Commission's (UGC) decision of graded autonomy will not only improve the standard of education but will also help institutions to become the best, he said.
The Prime Minister also promised, as was announced earlier in the budget, that the government will invest Rs 1 lakh crore in higher education under Revitalising Infrastructure and Systems in Education (RISE) by 2022.
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'Civilisation will die' remarks brought Iran to bargaining table: Trump
Washington (PTI): US President Donald Trump on Sunday said his “civilisation will die” remarks brought Iran to the bargaining table for the now failed peace talks, and predicted that they will come back.
“Let me tell you, that statement got them to the bargaining table, and they have it left. They have left the bargaining table. I predict they come back and they give us everything we want,” Trump told Fox News programme ‘Sunday Futures’.
On April 7, Trump had threatened that the US forces would wipe out the “whole civilisation” and demanded that Iran open up the Strait of Hormuz, the transit route for one-fifth of the global oil supplies, for navigation.
“A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” Trump posted on Truth Social, remarks that drew condemnation from across the world.
On Sunday, Trump tried to justify his remarks, saying Iran has always been calling “death to America” every other day.
“When I say about a civilisation, it really has changed. It really has. But think of it: they're allowed to say, "Death to America, death to this, death to—" you know, I make one statement, they say, "Oh, such a big deal”," Trump told Fox News.
Vice President J D Vance-led US delegation held peace talks with the Iranian interlocutors in Islamabad on Saturday.
The US and Iran failed to reach a peace deal at their historic 21-hour talks in Pakistan, leaving the fate of a tenuous two-week ceasefire in doubt, with both sides attempting to hold each other responsible for the collapse of the negotiations.
Vance asserted that Iran was not ready to give up nuclear weapons.
The failure to reach an agreement has dimmed the prospect of reopening the Strait of Hormuz to stabilise the global energy market. It is unclear whether the US will resume military operations against Iran.
"I told my people, I want everything. I don't want 90 per cent, I don't want 95 per cent. I told them I want everything," Trump said about the peace talks with Iran.
"We didn't get there on the important issue. They want to have nuclear weapons. They're not going to have nuclear weapons," the US President said.
The conflict began after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, paralysing global energy markets and disrupting trade.
