JOIN USNew India is a land of opportunities, says PM Narendra Modi at University of Mysore
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, the ‘new India’ is a land of opportunities and thus the youth have been successful, instituting numerous startups, exploring their strengths, taking up challenges, despite the Covid crisis.
Delivering the centenary convocation address of the University of Mysore (UoM), on Monday, virtually, he said, the youth should spend some time for themselves to introspect and to explore one’s talents and strengths. “The youth can chart their own path, by observing their environment, to achieve in their own capacities. An individual’s progress is not just one own progress, but of the nation. If each individual becomes Atmanirbhar, the nation becomes Atmanirbhar,”(sic) PM Modi said.
Elaborating on the National Education Policy 2020, he called upon the institutions to blend global technology and contemporary issues with local culture to find solutions for social issues. “In line with the multi-dimensional approach of NEP 2020, to make youth more competitive, the institutions should offer multi-disciplinary courses. Such courses help in skilling, re-skilling, and up-skilling of youth. They give flexibility to choose and make youth adaptable to the needs of the society,” he said.
Recalling the first convocation, held on a corresponding day, 102 years ago, on October 19, 1919, Modi said, the Chancellor and maharaja of Mysusu Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar had expressed that he would have been happy, if not one, but at least 10 girls had received their degree certificates. “Since then, there has been a lot of improvement in gender equality. Over the years, in the UoM, more girls, than boys, have been graduating. Even in the IITs, enrolment of girls was just 6% in 2016. Now, it has increased to 20%. In overall enrolment in education, the ratio has tilted positively towards girls,” he said.
Stating that ‘Shiksha’ and ‘Deeksha’ are the two significant phases in the life of students, Modi said, the youth should take an oath to serve the society and nation. “Over the last six years, the government has taken steps to update education, to meet the needs of the 21st century. Initiatives are taken to make India a global education hub, like it was in ancient times. Besides providing infrastructure, steps are taken to introduce structural reforms. Various laws have been enacted for reforms in governance. Up to 2014, there were 16 IITs. Since then, one IIT has been added with each passing year. Till 2014, there were nine IIITs, which have increased to 16 now. Even the number of IIMs have been increased from 13 to 20,” he said.