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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Top US counterterrorism official resigns over Iran war, says Iran posed no imminent threat
Washington (AP): Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, announced his resignation on Tuesday, saying he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration's war in Iran.
Kent said on social media Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
There was no immediate comment from the White House.
Kent, a former political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed to his post last July on a 52-44 vote.
As head of the National Counterterrorism Centre, he was in charge of an agency tasked with analysing and detecting terrorist threats.
Before entering President Donald Trump's administration, Kent ran two unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Washington state. He also served in the military, seeing 11 deployments as a Green Beret, followed by work at the CIA.
Democrats strongly opposed Kent's confirmation, pointing to his past ties to far-right figures and conspiracy theories. During his 2022 congressional campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right military group the Proud Boys, for consulting work. He also worked closely with Joey Gibson, the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, and attracted support from a variety of far-right figures.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kent also refused to distance himself from a conspiracy theory that federal agents instigated the January 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, as well as false claims that Trump, a Republican, won the 2020 election over Democrat Joe Biden.
Democrats grilled Kent on his participation in a group chat on Signal that was used by Trump's national security team to discuss sensitive military plans.
Still, Republicans praised Kent's counterterrorism qualifications, pointing to his military and intelligence experience.
Sen. Tom Cotton, the GOP chair of the intelligence committee, said in a floor speech that Kent had "dedicated his career to fighting terrorism and keeping Americans safe.”
