Amit Shah: New Education Policy Reflects Citizens' Aspirations, Will Also Attract Overseas Students

Lauding the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said it reflects the aspirations of citizens and a time will come when people from all over the world will seek admission in Indian institutions in large numbers.

He said the earlier policy was designed to make a person a successful professional, but the NEP 2020 will not only make a student a great human being, but also transform India into a great nation.

Shah was addressing a seminar on India's new education policy on the birth centenary of former  Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president late Kushabhau Thakre at the Mansarovar Hall of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly complex here.

The Union home minister said the NEP, approved by the Union Cabinet in 2020, is the soul of India and a declaration of Indianness. The new policy is aimed at harnessing the best ideas in the field of education, and seeks to give priority to Indian arts, culture and accord respect to native languages and mother tongue, the BJP leader said.

“A time will come when people from all over the world will come in large numbers to study in Indian educational institutions, which will figure among the best international academic institutions," Shah said. The Union home minister said the policy is a reflection of the aspirations of citizens and lays the foundation of India's future.

The NEP 2020 should be studied seriously by all people associated with the education sector, he said and added affordability, accessibility, quality, fairness and accountability are its five pillars. The Union home minister said the policy lays great emphasis on thorough analysis, reasoning and will immensely benefit both students and teachers.

Shah said a country won't become a great nation just with its rivers or mountains, but it needs great personalities to achieve that status. “The NEP that Prime Minister Narendra Modi implemented in 2020 will make the country's children great human beings. It will also make India a great nation which will shine bright like the Sun in the entire world,” Shah said.

The Union home minister said earlier whenever education policies were implemented, they faced opposition, but this was not the case with the NEP 2020 which was thoroughly discussed among stakeholders before being put into action.Shah said by solely focusing on English, Britishers had tried to developed inferiority complex among Indians and extend their colonial rule in the country.

Referring to Thakre, the senior BJP leader described him as a 'walking university' (chalta firta vishwavidyalaya) and said party workers in Madhya Pradesh were lucky to have his blessings. Shah congratulated Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for introducing technical and medical education courses in Hindi in the state.

"With emphasis on research and development, by 2040 we will be ahead of many nations," he said. Shah said promotion of technology will significantly reduce school dropout rates. Chouhan and BJP state president VD Sharma also addressed the seminar.

The NEP, which replaced the National Policy on Education framed in 1986, is aimed at paving the way for transformational reforms in school and higher education systems to make India a global knowledge superpower.

Choice between 3 or 4 year undergraduate courses, multiple entry and exit options in degree courses, adding 3.5 crore seats in higher education institutions and fixation of fees were among the higher education reforms outlined in the new NEP.

(With PTI inputs)