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Modi calls for setting up IITs, IIMs in every state

Exhorts students to set up Microsoft, Apple and Google in India

Narendra Modi
T E NarasimhanGireesh Babu Chennai
Last Updated : Feb 09 2014 | 2:20 PM IST
The BJP's Prime Ministerial Candidate and Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi today called for setting up IITs, IIMs, AIIMS and other premiere institutes in every state in the country.

Emphasising on entrepreneurship development, Modi called on the young Indians to build a Microsoft, Apple and Google in India.

Addressing students at the 9 th  convection at SRM University at Chennai today, Modi said “our demographic dividend, which is also our pride, is our biggest strength. Give our youth the strength and opportunity, they will do in 60 months what we could not do in 60 years”.

Started his speech, with a sentimental note on a Mother's role in a person's life, Modi told the students to remember two things first Mother land and the contribution it made in their nurturing. “ It is this soil, air and water of this land which makes what you are. We are just part of the whole and the whole is India”.

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Do whatever you can to enhance the image of the India and its development. Do whatever you can make India innovative and competitive, Modi told the students gathering. This is the third time he is addressing students gather ever since he was announced as the Prime Ministerial candidate in September 2013.

Satya Nadella's was appointed as CEO of Microsoft, it is definitely a good news. Most of you must be dreaming to reach such high position. My advise is that create a similar enterprise here, create a Microsoft, a Google and an Apple here in India.

Modi said, there are very few in the country who are able to reach prestigious institutions or even to any Universities or to any part of educational system. “This is our biggest challenge,” said Modi, who said that “we are committed to sett up IIMs, IITs, AIIMS in every state of the country”.

He said, India should not be behind any other country, when it comes to coverage and quality of education.

The other focus was on the quality of the education. Despite India had set up Universities which are over 1000 years old and got thousands of Universities, none of the Universities got global ranking. Even after 65 years of independence it is unfortunate that we have not focused on education, said Modi.

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" Our demographic dividend is our biggest strength. Give our youth the strength and they will do in 60 months what we could not in 60 years,” said Modi, who noted, 65 per cent of our population is less than 35 years old.

He added, “our land equates knowledge with wealth, knowledge is a wealth that nobody can steal. But it is unfortunate that we have not been able to focus on education. Education is important for nation
building,” said Modi, who added that this is an era of knowledge, which is the biggest wealth. It cannot be stolen, nobody can snatch it.

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Modi said, education is the strongest way to counter poverty, for economic progress and for nation building. “We need to focus on three key things skill development, speed and scale”.

" Private enterprises is more than eager to enter in Education sector. I personally convinced that we should give them free hand, but I also believe that to make the beginning and to make it big and impressive institution building has to begin with government” said Modi.

Modi concluded his almost 30 minutes speech by calling Young Indians, especially students, to participate in National affairs.

'Youth should be trusted for development of entrepreneurships'

Narendra Modi who keeps emphasising on the steps taken by his government in Gujarat on entrepreneurship development, today said that the youth should be trusted for development of new entreprenuers. He added that small companies are not able to grow big due to regulatory issues.

" We are known for curtailing enterprises. A small company might thus not bound to become big because of regulatory issues,” he said.

Over the last decade, the country has created a politics of aspiration, which without governance has started eroding people's trust. However, whenever India faces problems, the country would emerge stronger. India knows how to do self-correction, he said.

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First Published: Feb 09 2014 | 2:10 PM IST

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