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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Maharashtra polls: Nominations of 7,994 candidates across 288 assembly seats found valid
Mumbai (PTI): The nomination papers of 7,994 candidates filed across the 288 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra, where polling will take place on November 20, were found valid after scrutiny, election officials have said.
On the other hand, the nomination papers of 921 candidates were found invalid, the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said in a statement on Thursday.
The process of filing nominations by candidates began on October 22 and ended on October 29.
The papers submitted by contestants were scrutinised on October 30, while the last date for withdrawal of candidatures is November 4.
Polling for the 288-member state assembly will be held on November 20 and results will be declared on November 23.
The ruling Mahayuti alliance, consisting of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), are the main contenders for power though smaller parties and independents are also in the poll fray.
