The new National Education Policy (NEP) will be the cornerstone for building a "new India", Union HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' said on Wednesday. He said suggestions are being taken from various stakeholders, including students, parents, teachers, NGOs and scientists, before finalising the policy.
The NEP covers elementary to college education and the first was promulgated in 1968 by the government of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi and the second by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1986.
"The education policy will be India-centric and so solid and strong that it will prove to be the cornerstone in building a new India," the minister said, adding that a new NEP is being brought after a gap of 33 years.
Mr Pokhriyal was addressing a gathering at the Lovely Professional University near Phagwara.
"We are at present engaged in the world's biggest exercise of gathering feedback and suggestions from all the stakeholders, including students, parents, teachers, the common man, politicians, scientists, NGOs, governments before finalising the draft of the new education policy," he said.
Mr Pokhriyal said over two lakh suggestions have been received and they are being considered with utmost care.
"The world will look up to us and we will invite them to join us in our vision for giving a new direction. India possesses 'gyan, vigyan, anusandhan, vichar, sanskar' (knowledge, science, research, ideas and tradition)," he said.
Mr Pokhriyal, who has penned several books, told the varsity's students that he used to walk 16 kms, even through forests that had wolves and bears, to reach his high school and had never seen a light bulb during those days as his village did not have electricity.
He said students should never be afraid of hurdles and problems, and asked them to think big.
"Now India is no longer a country sitting in the far corner but it is at the centre stage and the whole world looks up to us," Mr Pokhriyal said lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He distributed Rs 4.01 crore to 295 scholars sponsored by LPU under its study grant project for enabling them to study in top institutions of country.
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