Schools must give certificates for aptitude, not character: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said his government was working on a proposal of doing away with issuing character certificates and replace it by awarding students with those on aptitude after schooling.

Interacting with children from nine states through video conferencing on the eve of Teacher’s Day, Modi said: “Everyone in this country have a character certificate (issued by their schools) today. Even those languishing in jails and a convicts sentenced to death have a character certificate. This has just become a ritual. Students should be given aptitude certificate instead of character certificates. I am trying to bring the changes.” He said in reply to a question from a student in Patna.

The PM said an aptitude certificate will highlight a student’s special qualities. The teachers will collect details about students from various sources including their classmates, friends and parents every three months to make a conclusive assessment, he said, adding a software will be developed for this. The aptitude certificate would contain a student’s peer reviews related to discipline, punctuality and friendliness. The PM said the change will be realised in the coming days.

When a student asked how the government’s “Digital India” programme would succeed when several parts of the country were facing shortage in electricity, Modi said it was a “dream” to see 24X7 power supply across the country by 2022.