India has become education hub due to Modi govt's policies: BJP leader

Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reshaped India's educational landscape through the National Education Policy, asserting that it is not a mere policy but a roadmap to make India a "knowledge superpower".

Addressing the "Education Excellence Award 2024: Kuwait Edition" in Kuwait, Naqvi said leadership emerges after being tested in the "furnace of struggle".

"The world is a witness to numerous leaders born from the womb of struggle and crisis like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, (Abraham) Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Margaret Thatcher, Indira Gandhi, Dr B R Ambedkar, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia, Dr APJ Kalam, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Narendra Modi and others, who not only led the country but also planted the saplings of new talent and leadership," he was quoted as saying in a statement by his office.

The former minister for minority affairs said India is the power centre of democracy and asserted that this is not due to any "Google guide" or magic of Artificial Intelligence but due to the centuries-old teaching of Gurukul theology.

Naqvi, a former deputy leader of Rajya Sabha, said amid the ongoing global turmoil, India or any other country needs a stable government and capable leadership that become a troubleshooter and the flagbearer of socio-economic, educational and cultural empowerment.

Highlighting the "path-breaking and reformative steps" taken by the Modi government in the education sector, he said the prime minister has reshaped India's educational landscape through the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

"NEP is not just a policy, it is a roadmap to make India a global knowledge superpower. The policy is based on five pillars -- access, equity, quality, affordability, and accountability," he said.

India's path to global leadership is closely linked to the strength of its education system, Naqvi said.

He informed the gathering that Rs 1.48 lakh crore has been allocated for education, employment and skilling in this year's Budget in India.

Enrolment of minority students in schools has increased from 4.01 crore in 2015-16 to 4.55 crore in 2020-21, he said, adding that in higher education, the enrolment of minority students has increased from 22.97 lakh in 2015-16 to 29.88 lakh in 2019-20.

The Modi government has launched the New India Literacy Programme (NILP) to promote literacy in the age group of 15 years and to cover five crore non-literates, including minorities by 2026-27, he said.

Naqvi asserted that because of these important measures, India has become the "education hub" of the world.

Deputy Chief of Mission, Indian Embassy in Kuwait, Sanjay K Muluka; Director CBSE Regional Office and Centre of Excellence at UAE Dr Ram Shankar; Arun Choudhary, Chief Financial Officer & Head Strategy, Al Rayan Holding Company, and a large number of eminent people from the educational, economic, social and political fields were present on the occasion.