New education policy teaches how to think, not what to think: PM Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that it is a matter of happiness that no section of the country has stated that the National Education Policy (NEP) has any bias. The Prime Minister said that the goal of the NEP should be to empower the present and future generations to be future-ready.

"After the National Education Policy came, no section of the country said that the policy has any bias. It is a matter of happiness," Prime Minister Modi said while addressing a 'Conclave on Transformational Reforms in Higher Education under National Education Policy', via video conferencing.

PM mentioned that the National Education Policy was approved after extensive deliberations over 3-4 years and brainstorming over lakhs of suggestions. He noted that healthy debate and discussions are taking place on National Education policy across the country.

"Every country equates education to its national interest and moves forward. The goal is that the education system should keep the present and future generation future-ready. NEP's basis in India is similar. NEP's goal is to enable the youth of the country for future challenges," he added.

He said that the policy lays the foundation of the 21st Century India, the education and skills needed for the youth to strengthen India, to advance it to new heights of development and to further empower the citizens of India to make them suitable for maximum opportunities.

Outlining the major shifts in NEP, PM Modi said that while the previous policy laid stress on 'what to think,' the emphasis will now be on 'how to think.'

He said that changing times has given rise to a new global system, and it was essential that India changed its education system as per this. The change from a 10+2 system in school education to a 5+3+3+4 curriculum was in keeping with this, the PM said.

PM said the New Education Policy provides for a Credit Bank so that students can have the freedom to leave a course in between and utilise them later when they want to resume their courses. He said that we are moving towards an era where a person will have to constantly re-skill and up-skill himself.

The Prime Minister also said that the policy focuses on developing a strong teaching system, with great emphasis on teacher training in national education policy, where they are constantly updating their skills.