Atal Bihari Vajpayee's 93rd Birthday: 5 Quotes On Education
New Delhi:
Today is the 93rd birthday of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the 10th Prime Minister of India. Atal Bihari Vajpayee is not just known for his statesmanship but is also a notable poet. When it comes to the topic of education, Atal Bihari Vajpayee had always held the view that education is something which could lead to India on the path of development. On December 28, 2002, he delivered the inaugural speech at the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the University Grants Commission.
Here are the highlights from his inaugural speech which reflect his opinion about education.
1. Education as a catalyst to India's development
"I am convinced that education especially higher education is that endeavour which will catapult India into a higher orbit of development. It is that undertaking which will, in innumerable tangible and intangible ways, benefit all our other undertakings in diverse fields of development."
2. Link between education and development
"The linkage between education and development is direct and simple. Higher education enhances human capital, which in turn makes higher growth possible; and universal education universalises the fruits of development."
3. Importance of education beyond material benefits
"The importance of education and higher education transcends the material benefits it beings to individual and society. All too often, we tend to focus mostly on the economic benefits of education. That, of course is an important dimension, which must receive our paramount attention. However, the non-material benefit of learning to the learner himself, and to society as a whole, must not be lost sight of."
4. Education as a tool for self-discovery
"Education, in the truest self of the term, is a process of self-discovery. It is the art of self-sculpture. It trains the individual not so much in specific skills or in specific branch of knowledge, but in the flowering of his or her latent intellectual, artistic and humanist capacities."
5. Accessibility of Education
"I remember how difficult it was in my student days to gain access to college education; and how rarer still was the entry into universities. We have come a long way since Independence in democratizing college and university education, which has moved closer to rural populations and also to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other marginalized sections of our society."
Click here for more Education News
Here are the highlights from his inaugural speech which reflect his opinion about education.
1. Education as a catalyst to India's development
"I am convinced that education especially higher education is that endeavour which will catapult India into a higher orbit of development. It is that undertaking which will, in innumerable tangible and intangible ways, benefit all our other undertakings in diverse fields of development."
2. Link between education and development
"The linkage between education and development is direct and simple. Higher education enhances human capital, which in turn makes higher growth possible; and universal education universalises the fruits of development."
3. Importance of education beyond material benefits
"The importance of education and higher education transcends the material benefits it beings to individual and society. All too often, we tend to focus mostly on the economic benefits of education. That, of course is an important dimension, which must receive our paramount attention. However, the non-material benefit of learning to the learner himself, and to society as a whole, must not be lost sight of."
4. Education as a tool for self-discovery
"Education, in the truest self of the term, is a process of self-discovery. It is the art of self-sculpture. It trains the individual not so much in specific skills or in specific branch of knowledge, but in the flowering of his or her latent intellectual, artistic and humanist capacities."
5. Accessibility of Education
"I remember how difficult it was in my student days to gain access to college education; and how rarer still was the entry into universities. We have come a long way since Independence in democratizing college and university education, which has moved closer to rural populations and also to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other marginalized sections of our society."
Click here for more Education News
