VP Venkaiah Naidu hails NEP, says 'it will make India a global knowledge superpower'

While addressing the virtual 13th convocation of Agartala's National Institute of Technology (NIT) on Tuesday, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said that the New Education Policy (NEP) aims to make India a 'global knowledge superpower'. Calling Indian education 'practical and wholesome', Venkaiah Naidu said that NEP has highlighted the need for India to become a global teacher, a 'Vishwa Guru', in the education sector. He further urged education institutions and universities to take up 'cutting edge research' in every possible field in order to compete on a global level. 

"The New Education Policy aims at making 'India a global knowledge super-power' and underlined the need for the country to once again become a Vishwa Guru (global teacher) in the field of education. It seeks to make Indian education holistic, multi-disciplinary, and practical," said Vice President Venkaiah Naidu. 

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"The ancient education system in the country used to focus on developing holistic and well-rounded personalities and taught people to live in harmony with nature and respect all. Our education was practical, wholesome, and complementary to life. In fact, education was seen as a continuous process of learning. The New Education Policy is underpinned by the same vision. It seeks to bring a paradigm shift in the entire education system," he added. 

"The New Education Policy (NEP) not only focuses on providing quality education but also seeks to develop character, inculcate scientific temper, promote creativity, the spirit of service and equip students with the capabilities to meet 21st-century challenges," he further added.

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"Turn students into job creators": VP Naidu

Urging universities and educational institutions to reorient education, the Vice President said that in order to make India a hub of knowledge and innovation, the institutes should take up 'cutting edge research' and 'establish synergy with industries' and other institutions while turning the university campuses into centres of research and creativity. He further asked the Higher education institutes to focus on turning students into 'job creators and not job seekers'. VP Venkaiah Naidu also recalled something said by the former President late APJ Abdul Kalam which reminded students to 'dream big' and 'strive hard' in order to succeed. 

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(With inputs from PTI & ANI)