Union education minister: Government delivers on commitment to National Education Policy at IIT (BHU) Convocation
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Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan addressed the convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) BHU in Varanasi, restating the Indian government’s commitment to fully implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020. The minister also announced his ambitious plans for setting up 50 research parks across the country and new campuses for the IITs, NITs, and IISERs.
Speaking to the reporters after the ceremony, Pradhan reflected on how the India startup ecosystem had transformed in the last eight years, since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014. “This was a country with few startups when Mr Modi came into office in 2014,” he said. Now, the number has crossed 1.4 crore or 14 million with most of them emerging out of academic institutions. This increased rate is a confirmation of how the policies of government can create innovation in young people and entrepreneurs.
An important component of the strategy that the government would deploy to promote research and innovation is the National Research Foundation. Pradhan said that NRF is headed by no less than the Prime Minister himself, which is there to support and promote any research for public good. The focus is on how it addresses national challenges and towards the broader vision of making India a developed nation by 2047.
“The youth of our country are our future, and we are committed to giving them the resources and the opportunities to excel in the fields they are in,” Pradhan said in an interview, underlining government commitment to investing in education and research.
At the convocation ceremony, Pradhan recognised IIT (BHU)’s efforts in creating a culture of innovation and excellence. “Institutions like IIT (BHU) are instrumental in shaping the technological future of India,” the minister said. “The government is aware of the challenges that educational institutions face and is taking initiatives to address them,” he added.
Pradhan answered in response to the status report of the Rajiv Gandhi South Campus of BHU, Mirzapur as the current emphasis of government is on three institutes and those are IIT(BHU), main campus, and the AIIMS level hospital system which had seen the last ten years growth. He also informed the media that the infrastructure facilities and academic competencies at these institutes will definitely get upgraded to fulfill higher demands of education at country-level.
Pradhan’s comments come at a time when the implementation of NEP, 2020, is gaining momentum. This policy aims to reform the Indian education system and provide it with a holistic shape and flexibility to address diverse needs of students. Multidisciplinary education, vocational training, and research are emphasized to enhance the critical thinking and creativity in students.
The NEP intends to enhance the access of the population, especially in rural and marginally backward regions, towards quality education. New institutions of research and research parks have been envisioned to come up as an ecosystem by which talent will be nursed and solutions to societal needs can be provided through applied research.
Pradhan feels highly optimistic for the future about education and research in the country given the steps toward implementing the policies taken up by the government. According to him, if appropriate policies are available with the essential support then the country becomes a leader in innovation in the whole world.
The IIT (BHU) convocation will be an opportunity to celebrate its graduates while also emphasizing a vision of the government into the future of education across India. As students depart for their professional careers, they are urged to exercise the skills and knowledge of their years at IIT (BHU) so as to contribute to their nation’s development.
The commitment by the government to the NEP and efforts such as the NRF, and a new set of institutions to be formed, is in itself a good omen for quality enhancement in India’s education and research domains. Focusing on youth, innovation, and creating an energetic educational structure to handle not only current needs but future challenges, the vision for a developed India is expected to be completed in 2047. To accomplish this goal, all the educational institutions like IIT (BHU) are going to play their vital role.