NEP-2020 aims to make India global knowledge superpower: President Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Monday hailed the Centre's National Education Policy-2020, saying that it was aimed at making India a 'Global Knowledge Superpower'.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating Visitor's Conference 2023 on Monday, President Murmu said she was happy that the Union Ministry of Education, in coordination with all the stakeholders, is striving to make India a global knowledge hub in line with the National Education Policy.

Praising Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and his entire team for conceiving and organising this conference, the President also congratulated all the winners of the Visitor's Awards.

"The objective behind introducing the National Education Policy-2020 is to make India a Global Knowledge Superpower and I am happy to note that the Union Ministry of Education, in coordination with all the stakeholders, is continuously making efforts in line with the National Education Policy," the President said.

"The importance of education is paramount in the progress of individual, society and the country. This is a universal truth. Higher educational institutions will play an important role in achieving the goal of establishing India as a developed nation by the end of the Amrit Kaal -- by the year 2047," President Murmu added.

"Only the countries that are knowledge superpowers, going forward, will rank among the global superpowers. To this end, the contribution of each and everyone of us to nation building will prove decisive," the President said.

Sharing her lifestory, of "moving from my small village in Odisha to the city to study", President Murmu said, "Through the creation of an environment of sensitivity towards first generation students coming to higher-educational institutions, all of you will be discharging an important social responsibility."

"Just as sensible and sensitive head and senior members of a joint family pay attention to the needs of each and every member, all of you -- the teachers and staff -- should be sensitive to the needs of the students. All of you are the guiding lights of the students as well as their parents. It should be your endeavor that the students get a safe and sensitive environment like their home on campuses and hostels of higher educational institutions," the President added.

"About half of the students (at institutes of higher learning) belong to reserved classes. There were about 100 dropouts in IIMs, and the majority of them were from reserved classes. The issue of dropouts needs to be addressed very sensitively and a solution needs to be found," she said.

"In a heart-wrenching incident last Saturday, a 20-year-old student died by suicide at IIT Delhi. Similar incidents have happened in many other educational institutions. This isn't just limited to a particular institution but is a matter of concern for the entire education world," the President added.