National Education Policy will give due respect to every Indian language: PM Modi
New Delhi (PTI): The new National Education Policy (NEP) will give due respect and credit to every language in the country and those who try to politicise language for their selfish interests will have to shut their shops, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday.
Delivering the inaugural address at the "Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam" on the third anniversary of the launch of the NEP, Modi said the biggest injustice to students is judging them on the basis of their language, instead of their capabilities.
"The National Educational Policy will give due respect and credit to every language in the country.... Those who try to politicise language for their selfish interests will now have to shut their shops," the prime minister said.
"Education in the mother tongue is initiating a new form of justice for students in India. It is also a very significant step towards social justice," he added.
Taking note of the multitude of languages in the world and their importance, the prime minister underlined that several developed countries have got an edge owing to their local languages.
Giving the example of Europe, he said most countries make use of their own native languages. Modi lamented that even though India has an array of established languages, they are presented as a sign of backwardness and those who cannot speak English are neglected and their talent is not recognised.
"As a result, children in the rural areas remain the most affected. The country has now begun to shun this belief with the advent of the NEP. Even at the United Nations, I speak in an Indian language," he added.
Modi underlined that subjects ranging from social science to engineering will now be taught in Indian languages. "When the students are confident in a language, their skills and talent will emerge without any restrictions," he said.
The prime minister said the world is looking at India as a nursery of new possibilities and several countries are approaching the government for setting up Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campuses there.
"The world is looking at India as a nursery of new possibilities. Many countries are approaching us to open IIT campuses there. Two IIT campuses -- one in Tanzania and one in Abu Dhabi -- are already about to start operations.... Various global universities are also reaching out to us, expressing their interest in setting up campuses in India," he said.
Modi said the NEP aims at making India a hub of research and innovation and has given equal importance to traditional knowledge systems and futuristic technology.
He also asked schools to make students aware of subjects such as disaster management, climate change and clean energy.
During the programme, the prime minister released the first instalment of funds under the PM SHRI scheme.
The schools under the scheme will nurture students in a way that they become engaged, productive and contributing citizens for building an equitable, inclusive and pluralistic society, as envisaged under the NEP.
The prime minister also released education and skill curriculum books translated into 12 Indian languages.
The two-day Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam is being held at Bharat Mandapam at the old Pragati Maidan here.
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Thane court sentences man to life imprisonment for bludgeoning wife to death
Thane (PTI): A court in Maharashtra's Thane district sentenced a man to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of his wife, whom he attacked 22 times with a hammer in front of his children, based on the testimony of his 13-year-old daughter.
Principal district and sessions judge S B Agrawal found the accused, Vijay Mishra alias Samir Shaikh, guilty under sections 302 (murder) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The court sentenced him to life imprisonment and a three-year term to be served concurrently. It also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh for the murder charge and an additional Rs 10,000 for injuring his minor daughter and mother-in-law, who had tried to intervene during the fatal attack.
Additional public prosecutor Rashmi Kshirsagar informed that 11 prosecution witnesses, including the accused's daughter, were examined during the trial.
According to the prosecution, the victim, Zarin Israr Ansari, had been living with her mother, along with her daughter and a six-year-old son, for two years following prolonged domestic violence and disputes.
The accused, who had converted to Islam to marry Zarin 14 years prior, harboured deep resentment over her living separately and suspected her character.
On the afternoon of September 28, 2023, the accused stormed into his mother-in-law's residence in Mumbra with a hammer concealed in a bag, cornered his wife on the mezzanine floor, dragged her down, locked the main door, and repeatedly bludgeoned her.
The court defended the testimony of the victim's 13-year-old daughter, who was an eyewitness and had sustained injuries herself, noting that minor inconsistencies do not degrade the core truth of an innocent child's account:
"...they are not of any significant consequence since it is not expected from such a witness of 10 years of age to have a total photographic memory to be reproduced before the court. But as far as the incident is concerned, evidence of this witness is totally free from any reasonable doubt."
The prosecution had also stated that the accused had locked his family inside and threatened a neighbour by brandishing a "bomb-like thing" and declaring he would blow up the building if anyone intervened.
The victim's brother eventually broke down the latched door, disarmed the accused, and pinned him down until the police arrived.
The post-mortem report revealed that the victim had suffered 22 brutal injuries and had died due to severe head wounds.
