On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged young people to cultivate the qualities of self-confidence and introspection, saying this was the objective declared by his government earlier this year by the New Education Policy. "The aim of the new National Education Policy is for the nation's youth to get to know themselves," he said at the University of Lucknow's centennial celebrations.
“Self-confidence comes when there is the freedom to take one's own decision, and when there is flexibility. A mind and body which are in chains can never be productive,” he said.
The Prime Minister advised the teachers and the university students to debate and disagree extensively about the NEP, and also to work on its speedy implementation. "The NEP will become a part of our education policy in letter and spirit by the time the nation completes 75 years of Independence," he said. Though arguing about achieving one's potential, PM Modi spoke about the New Rail Coach Factory near Rae Bareli. "The problem has been for a long time that we have not completely exploited our capacity (saamarth). An example of this is the Rae Bareli Rail Coach Factory," he said.
PM indicated that the university should have courses on Lucknow's local culture and items such as the chikankari kurtas that the city is renowned for. Modi proposed that the university should provide these local goods with skill training and technical intervention, while the students could learn branding, marketing and management strategies. He said that this goal setting would help not only personal growth, but also national development in the development of the university.
Asking students to help the local community understand its full potential, PM said the main challenge is that our full potential is not being exploited. He said universities are not only the hub of higher education, but also a powerhouse for greater goals and expectations to be set.
PM also unveiled the 100th anniversary commemorative coin of the university and published a special postal stamp issued by India Post and its cover at the event. The NEP replaces the 34-year-old education programme and seeks to shift the education system from schools to national higher education, teacher training and job scenarios. After several rounds of feedback from specialists and stakeholders, the strategy was launched.
PM Modi said it is important to keep alive 'positivity in thought' and 'possibility in approach'. To mark the centennial day of the university's establishment, the prime minister issued a commemorative coin and a postal stamp. Attending the event were Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
