The new National Education Policy (NEP), launched by his government last year, will meet the country's needs in the 21st century and is a means to fight poverty as it empowers speakers of India's native languages, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today.
Speaking from the Red Fort in New Delhi on the occasion of India's 75th Independence Day, PM Modi reiterated that the policy focuses on encouraging learning in regional languages.
"I consider (NEP) a means to fight against poverty. Today, the country has a new National Education Policy to meet the needs of the 21st century," he said.
"When the daughter or son of a poor person can become a professional by studying using one's own mother tongue as a medium, only then will justice be done to their talent," he said.
The NEP is the guiding philosophy for changing the learning landscape, making education holistic, and for building strong foundations for an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', a statement from the Prime Minister's Office had said on July 29, the first anniversary of the policy's launch.
Aimed at transforming India's education system by 2040, the policy is a framework for elementary to higher education, as well as vocational training, in both rural and urban India.
It was launched to "bring out the capabilities of each student, universalise education, build capacities, and transform the learning landscape", according to Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Minister of Education and Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.
In April this year, the Prime Minister had said that "the National Education Policy is futuristic and as per global parameters".
It replaced a 34-year-old National Policy on Education (NPE) which was brought out in 1986.
