Congress chief Rahul Gandhi alleged Friday Prime Minister Narendra Modi has an "I know everything" problem because of which he does not appreciate questions directed at him and avoids public functions where he would have to answer "uncomfortable" questions.
Interacting with students here, Gandhi said he is not afraid of questions.
"I have come here, there are 7,000 students here and you are asking me whatever questions you have and there will be some questions which will make me uncomfortable, but I will still deal with them," he said.
Why Modi does not attend such open events where anybody can ask him direct questions, the opposition party president asked the students.
Then, Gandhi himself offered a possible answer.
"It is an attitude that 'I know everything and nobody (else) knows anything'. And that is the problem. It is not with Prime Minister only, it is at every level, we do not appreciate questions," he said.
Encouraging students to ask questions, he said only when a person raises a query that everyone gets an answer.
Gandhi said he is a political leader and there is nothing wrong in making him uncomfortable by asking probing questions.
The Congress chief rued that the Indian education system does not encourage students to ask questions.
"In our (education) system, we do not appreciate questions. In our system, teacher says and student listens...
"So we need to move from memorisation-centric system to question-answer system, where teacher has to be made uncomfortable so that he can seek answers to questions," he said.
To improve the current situation, he said, skills need to become key to Indian education system and businesses, "and even in political system".
In the United States, emphasis is given more on development of skills, he said. "I have studied in both the systems. What is very good about India is that Indian students have capabilities.
"We have absolutely the most brilliant students in the world and frankly we have a reputation not because what it (the education system) does, but what you do," said Gandhi.
Students, he stressed, are the real "assets" of the country.
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