PM Modi addresses Conference of Governors on NEP 2020; makes big 'brain drain' statement

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, while addressing a virtual conference of Governors, said that the government's interference and influence in the education system should be the least. He also said that the New Education Policy (NEP) focuses more on learning instead of studying. The policy's emphasis is more on critical thinking than the curriculum.

"Education policy and the education system are an important means of fulfilling the aspirations of the country. Central, state government, local bodies, all are attached to the responsibility of the education system. But it is also true that the government, its interference, its influence in education policy, should be at least,"  the Prime Minister said.

"The new education policy focuses on Learning rather than Studying and goes beyond Curriculum and emphasizes Critical Thinking. In this policy, more emphasis is given on Passion, Practicality and Performance than Process," he added.

PM Modi asserted that this policy removes the pressure related to streams and now students can learn according to their own aptitude. 

"For a long time, situations were arising where our children were being buried under the burden of bags and board exams, due to the pressure of family and society. This problem has been effectively addressed in this policy," PM Modi said.

PM recalls India's heritage of knowledge

Recalling that India was a global centre of knowledge for a long time, he said that the Government is trying to regain the lost glory of the country and make it a knowledge hub again. He said that the policy also tackles the problem of 'brain drain' and the new education policy has a focus on foundational learning and languages.

PM addresses concerns

PM Modi said that when changes are introduced in the system at such a massive scale, it is obvious to have doubts as to how the changes will be implemented effectively and how will the people adapt to such changes. Even professors and teachers may have these questions as to how will they prepare themselves to these changes, said PM Modi while addressing the doubts of the people involved in the education sector.

 "All of these questions are important. Everyone is working together to solve every question. There is a continuous dialogue from the Ministry of Education. The entire talk of every stakeholder in the states, every opinion is being heard with an open mind. After all, we all have to solve all the doubts and apprehensions together," said the prime minister while assuring the stakeholders of the education sector.

The Prime Minister said efforts are being made that every aspect of higher education, be it academic, technical, vocational, every type of education should be taken out of silos. Administrative layers should be kept to a minimum, there should be more coordination among them, this effort has also been made through this policy, he said.

"The attempt behind the concept of graded autonomy is also to encourage healthy competition among every college, every university and reward those institutions which perform better. It is our collective responsibility to implement NEP-2020 in Letter and Spirit," the Prime Minister concluded.