AMN / WEB DESK
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that the New Education Policy was a major step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat and it gives strength to research and innovation.
PM was addressing the convocation ceremony of Visva Bharati University through video conferencing.
Mr. Modi said many people who are spreading terror and violence across the world are also highly educated, highly skilled, on the other hand, there are educated people who are risking their lives and stationed at hospitals and labs to save people from a pandemic like Covid-19. It’s not about ideology but a mindset, he asserted. Prime Minister said what one does depends upon whether the mindset is positive or negative. There is scope for both of them. The path is open for both of them. It is in our hands to decide if we want to be a part of the problem or the solution, he said.
The Prime Minister said Knowledge and Power come with lot of responsibility and called upon the students to strive to maintain unity in diversity. Mr. Modi said Universities stand for endless knowledge and skill or knowledge are not static, but ever evolving. He lauded the Vishwa Bharati for the dedicated service it is rendering for the welfare of the poor.
The Prime Minister said VishvaBharati is not just a university, but a part of a vibrant tradition. He said had Gurudev wanted to see Vishwa Bharati as just a university, he could have named it Global University, but he named it Vishwa Bharati University. Mr. Modi said for Gurudev Tagore, Visva Bharati was not merely a place of knowledge, but it was an attempt to reach the topmost goal of Indian culture.
He praised the songs and poetry of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and said they are gaining global popularity for imparting knolwedge to readers. Remembering Chhatrapati Shivaji on his Birth anniversary today, the Prime Minister quoted a poem written by Tagore on Shivaji.
The Prime Minister said it was inspiring and delightful to take part in the convocation ceremony of a great instituition. He said it would have been a lot better had he been present personally to take part in the Convocation ceremony today. West Bengal governor and rector of the university Jagdeep Dhankar, union education minister Dr. Ramesh Pokhrial Nishank and MOS education Sanjay Dhotre were also present on the occasion.
A total of 2,535 students received their degrees during the ceremony. Visha-Bharati was founded by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore in 1921. It is the oldest Central University in the country. In May 1951, Visha-Bharati was declared as a Central University and an Institution of National Importance by an Act of Parliament. The University followed the pedagogy devised by Gurudev Tagore, though gradually it evolved in the format in which modern Universities developed elsewhere. The Prime Minister is also the Chancellor of the University.