New education policy designed to strengthen the nation: HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal

The proposed new education policy has been put through much scrutiny and is designed to strengthen academics so as to influence the world through Indias age-old value system, Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said on Monday.

The new education policy, being taken up after a gap of over three decades, will be based on Indias ethics and value system. It aims at strengthening the nation while making life meaningful, he said adding no other country shared the philosophy of India.

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The new policy has been subjected to intense consultation as it was put in the public domain for suggestions. In fact, it has been the biggest ever consultation taken up in the world, Pokhriyal said delivering a lecture on 'A New Education Policy for a New India' at a private university here.

He said India had over 1000 universities, 45,000 degree colleges, 16 lakh schools, over one crore teachers and 33 crore students which was more than the population of USA. A lot hinges on our young generation, he said. Referring to the Make in India, Digital India, Skill India and Start-up India campaigns of the government, Pokhriyal said such endeavours would take the country to the top.

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On the importance accorded to skill development by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the union minister said through vocational courses taught in schools, we aim to teach students the skills that will last them a lifetime. Samayara Chitralipi, a book comprising ten selected short stories by Pokhriyal and translated into Odia, was also unveiled on the occasion.