Page 33 - NIS English 16-31 July,2023

Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education, Interview
Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

n The aim of New India is to provide quality education. schemes. How do you see?
How is the new National Education Policy setting the n So far, 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs have been
course for change in this direction? established in the country, where students are

n After waiting for more than three decades, our innovating. Atal Incubation Centers across
government came up with a new National Education the country have been working to promote
Policy to make India a knowledge-based society. entrepreneurship from the very beginning.
Provisions have been made in the new National Virtual Labs are being set up. Curriculum is being
Education Policy to equip the youth with quality developed according to the new era. 125 National
education and skills. The emphasis on education in the Skill Qualification Framework is being launched.
local language and mother tongue has been beneficial.
Along with child care, formal education is introduced n Every now and then there is a debate in the country
for the first time from the age of three. Methods like regarding the change in the curriculum. Has the
storytelling, toy based learning are being used for government made some changes in the curriculum
children. Innovative and entrepreneurial mindset is according to the new circumstances and the new era?
being inculcated with scientific temper. n Bal Vatika's outline is in the new National Education
Policy to strengthen the initial foundation. It has
n Moving towards making the also started as a pilot project in
nation a global hub of education, 49 Kendriya Vidyalayas. In the
how is India preparing itself By 2047, the central coming time, these Bal Vatikas
according to international government is continuously will be started in all Kendriya
standards? Vidyalayas and CBSE schools.
India has been the center working towards making
n New books for class I and class
of knowledge-civilization for India developed and II are ready and will be launched
centuries. We move forward self-reliant by providing in this academic session. The
with the spirit of Vasudhaiva new opportunities to the National Curriculum Framework
Kutumbakam. In line with the aspirations, dreams and for School Education estimates
thinking of the new National that there will be 150 new
Education Policy, to prepare the resolutions of the young textbooks at the elementary,
education system according to population. middle and secondary stages.
international standards, joint degree with foreign New text books will be developed in regional
universities, steps to encourage studies in India, languages and digital versions will also be made
setting up campuses of Indian universities outside available on PM E Vidya Diksha.
India, encouraging foreign universities to establish
the campus of their Institutes in India, validating the n India is a young country. How do you see India's
qualifications of both the places. growing youth population and how it is creating new
opportunities for education and skills?
n Digitization of education has become an essential n India's youth population is a great strength. The
part after Covid. What are the important efforts of the average age of the population of India is 29 years. On
Ministry of Education in this direction? an average, every Indian is 10 years younger than in
Emphasis has been laid on digital education. For
n China. We are turning the growing youth population
this many initiatives have been taken like SWAYAM, into opportunity. Under the leadership of PM Modi,
N-DEAR, NETF, Digital University, National Digital we are paying attention to groom youth who become
Library, Samarth, NTA, ITEP, PM e-Vidya DIKSHA, job creators and not job seekers. Our youth should
Vidya Samiksha Kendra Swayamprabha. Students not only create jobs but also work for themselves and
are getting opportunities since childhood to promote the society. Right now India is the country with the
research in education. youngest population in the world, but in the coming
time, the elderly population will also increase in India.
n There is a keen enthusiasm among the youth Therefore, what Prime Minister Narendra Modi said
regarding innovation-technology. Prime Minister from the ramparts of the Red Fort and what he has
Narendra Modi has also been giving priority to it in the been saying on various forums that this is India's time,

New India Samachar July 16-31, 2023 31