NEP 2020 a well-planned roadmap to nurture young talent, says President Ram Nath Kovind
Kasaragod, Dec 21: The National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020 is a well-planned roadmap to develop an ecosystem that will nurture the talent of the country's young generation, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Tuesday.
Delivering his speech at the 5th Convocation of the Central University of Kerala at the Periya campus here, Kovind said the NEP aims to prepare the students for the world of tomorrow, while also equipping them with the best of India's own traditions.
"India is, after all, the land of Nalanda and Takshshila, of Aryabhata, Bhaskaracharya and Panini. Gandhiji compared the indigenous educational system with a beautiful tree that perished under colonialism. An effort is being made to rediscover its best aspects so that India makes a contribution to the world that it alone is destined to make," Kovind said.
The President said the most outstanding feature of the NEP is that it aims to promote both inclusion and excellence.
Kovind said through its varied curriculum, NEP promotes liberal as well as professional education, because each stream of knowledge has a role to play in society and in nation-building.
"That way, the NEP can become instrumental for India to harness and reap the demographic dividend," he added.
He said the country's growing population makes it "incumbent upon us to nurture the next generation talent." "When the younger generation is provided with skills and knowledge required for success in the world of the twenty-first century, they can do miracles," he said.
Praising Kerala, Kovind said it has led the other states on critical parameters of literacy and education, enabling it to be a leading state on several other parameters of excellence too.
The President also pointed out that the Union Government has recommended names of three cities from the entire country for being listed in UNESCO's Global Network of Learning and two of them are from Kerala.
"These two cities are Thrissur and Nilambur. Being part of this Global Network supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially the goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting life-long learning opportunities for all," he said.
He said as far as gender equity is concerned, Kerala not only has favourable sex ratio, but has also been at the forefront of women empowerment.
"I am not surprised at all that all the three gold medal winners in today's convocation happen to be our daughters. I am also glad to note that the number of daughters who have received degrees is nearly thrice the number of boys. I have been told that our daughters constitute 64 per cent of the total number of students in the university," he said.
He said he has been observing the growing empowerment of women through education in other parts of the country also.
"In this empowerment-through-education of our daughters, I see the India of the future which will become a knowledge power with rich contribution from our daughters," Kovind said.
Kovind handed over gold medals to three graduates.
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and State Local Self Government and Excise Minister M V Govindan also attended the event.
After the event, the President flew to Kochi and was welcomed by government officials.
Kovind is accompanied by his wife Savitha Kovind and daughter Swathi. The first family will stay at the Taj Malabar resort.
The President will witness the operational demonstration of the naval officers of the Southern Naval Command on Wednesday. He will also visit IAC Vikrant.
The President will leave for Thiruvananthapuram on December 23 to take part in various programmes there and will return to New Delhi on December 24.
Earlier in the day, Kasaragod MP and Congress leader Rajmohan Unnithan and Udma MLA and Left leader C K Kunhambu voiced their protest against the CUK for not inviting them for the function and said it was a protocol violation.
Unnithan said not inviting him for the convocation, even though he represents the area in Parliament, is a breach of protocol.
"Without following any protocol, the event has been turned into a completely saffronised event involving only BJP representatives. This is objectionable and completely undemocratic," the Kasaragod MP said.
Kunhambu has written to the Vice Chancellor of the University expressing displeasure over not being invited to the programme scheduled to be held in his Udma assembly constituency.
"I was not informed about the event to be attended by the President, in the district," he told PTI.
However, university authorities said the decision on the invitees was taken by the security and protocol officers.
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Maliwal facing corruption case, blackmailed by BJP to be part of conspiracy against Kejriwal: AAP
New Delhi (PTI): AAP leader Atishi on Saturday claimed that party MP Swati Maliwal, who has accused Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar of assaulting her, is facing arrest in an illegal recruitment case and she was "blackmailed" by the BJP to become part of the "conspiracy" against the Chief Minister.
Talking to PTI-Video, Atishi, who is also a cabinet minister in the Delhi government, alleged that Maliwal went to the chief minister's official residence on Monday without an appointment.
"Why did she barge inside? Why did she land up at the chief minister's residence without an appointment? Arvind Kejriwal was busy that day and did not meet her. If he had met her that day, the allegations levelled against Bibhav Kumar could have been levelled against him," Atishi said.
She said Maliwal was made the face of this "conspiracy" by the BJP.
"The BJP has a pattern. First they file cases and then threaten to send leaders to jail. Swati Maliwal is facing charges in an illegal recruitment case registered by the Anti-Corruption Branch. An FIR has been registered in the case and it is at a stage where she could be arrested.
"The BJP blackmailed Maliwal and made her the face of this conspiracy," the AAP leader charged.
AAP MP Swati Maliwal has alleged that Kumar assaulted her at Kejriwal's official residence on Monday, slapping and kicking her in the chest and abdomen, charges rejected as "baseless" by the party.
The Delhi Police on Thursday registered an FIR in connection with the alleged assault on Maliwal and named Kumar as an accused.
Atishi said if the Delhi Police is impartial, it should also register an FIR on Kumar's complaint against Maliwal.
"Will the Delhi Police register a case of trespassing, breach of security and obstructing a government servant from discharging his duty against her? If the Delhi Police is impartial, it should register an FIR on Bibhav's complaint. Will it act on his complaint the same way it did on Maliwal's complaint?" she asked.
"Her call records should be looked into and analysed (to see) which BJP leaders she was in touch with," she said.
As part of its probe into the incident, the Delhi Police on Friday took Maliwal to Kejriwal's residence to recreate the crime scene. Her statement was also recorded before a magistrate at the Tis Hazari court.
VIDEO | Here's what Delhi minister and AAP leader Atishi (@AtishiAAP) said on CM Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar filing a police complaint against AAP MP Swati Maliwal.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 18, 2024
"Yesterday, Bibhav Kumar has filed a detailed complaint with the Delhi Police about what actually happened… pic.twitter.com/QKQIxInwxZ
