PM Modi's address to education community: 14 engineering colleges to offer courses in 5 Indian languages

Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his address to the educational community on July 29, 2021 by congratulating all  students on the completion of one year of the new National Education Policy.

The Prime Minister recalled that "in the last one year, all you great personalities, teachers, principals, policy makers of the country have worked very hard in bringing the National Education Policy to the ground."

On the occasion, the Prime Minister launched multiple key initiatives including Academic Bank of Credits, SAFAL, National Digital Education Architecture and National Education Technology Forum (NETF) in the field of education. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches multiple key initiatives including Academic Bank of Credits and National Digital Education Architecture, in the field of education pic.twitter.com/KjtGZibjI1

— ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2021

Steps to boost Education across India

•During his address, the Prime Minister emphasised that we have to think about the future and said that how far we will go in the future, how much we will achieve  will depend on what kind of education we are giving to our youth today. 

•PM Modi highlighted that the 21st century youth wants to make their own systems, their own world. He highlighted how the youth of the country is breaking through shackles in different ways. He noted that the Indian athletes are doing well at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. 

•He emphasised that they are accelerating Digital India. He said, from robotics to sci-fi, Artificial Intelligence to machine learning, many new milestones are being met. 

•The Prime Minister further said that the youth now need freedom from old shackles and cages and the new 'National Education Policy' assures the youth that the country is now completely with them, with their spirits.

•The Prime Minister stated that the Artificial Intelligence program has just been launched to make the youth future oriented, opening the way for an AI driven economy. 

•The Prime Minister highlighted how we have seen this environment for decades when it was believed that to study well one had to go abroad but now for good studies students from abroad come to India. best institutions come to India. 

Major announcements

•14 engineering colleges in 8 states will start engineering studies in 5 Indian languages- Hindi-Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Bangla.

•A tool has also been developed for translation of engineering course in 11 Indian languages. The move aims to bridge the educational divide and enable children belonging to even poor and vulnerable families gain access to quality education. 

•Indian Sign Language has also been given the status of a language subject for the first time. Now students will be able to read it as a language also.

Indian Sign language has been designated as a subject now. Students can opt to study this. It will promote Indian sign language and will help differently-abled people: PM Modi

— ANI (@ANI) July 29, 2021

•The decision is expected to give a huge boost to Indian Sign Language and help differently abled people in the country. 

•The Prime Minister noted that two new initiatives -National Digital Education Architecture (NDEAR) and National Education Technology Forum (NETF) will work to make digital and economic framework across the country.

•The Prime Minister reiterated bringing about an e-learning transformation and SAFAL portal is expected to work in that direction. 

•PM Modi also spoke about implementation of a universal play school programme in coming times across the country through Vidya Pravesh initiative. He said that the initiative will help bridge the divide between rural and urban and play schools will no longer be limited to urban cities. 

Significance 

All the new initiatives will mark a significant step towards realization of goals under National Education Policy 2020 and make the education sector more vibrant and accessible.