The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, today addressed a Conference on Academic Leadership on Education for Resurgence, in New Delhi.He said that when one thinks of resurgence or revival, the first image that comes to mind is of Swami Vivekananda, who presented before the world, the strength of Indian thought.The Prime Minister recalled Swami Vivekananda’s emphasis on self-reliance, character building, and human values, as elements of education. The Prime Minister said innovation is another vital element of education today.Recalling the ancient Indian texts, the Vedas, the Prime Minister said that we cannot imagine our society, our country, and even our lives, without knowledge. He said that our ancient universities such as Taxila, Nalanda and Vikramshila, gave importance to innovation, besides knowledge. The Prime Minister also recalled the views on education of Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, Deendayal Upadhyay, and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia.
Shri Narendra Modi said that today, no country or person can live in isolation. He mentioned the importance of thinking in terms of ‘global citizen’ or ‘global village.’ He said our Universities and Colleges should be leveraged to find solutions to the challenges facing us. We should “Interlink Institutions to Innovate and Incubate”, he added.He urged students to link their classroom learnings to the aspirations of the country. He also mentioned Atal Tinkering Labs which have been set up to encourage children to innovate. He mentioned the RISE – Revitalization of Infrastructure and Systems in Education -programme for improving education infrastructure.He mentioned the steps taken for higher education.The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of preparing good teachers for society. He also said that scholars and students can take responsibility for spreading digital literacy, and generating greater awareness of government programmes that can improve ease of living.The Prime Minister said that the youth has given “Brand India” a global identity. He mentioned schemes such as Start Up India, Stand Up India and Skill India, which are aimed at nurturing young talent.