Affordability, accountability among 5 pillars of new education policy: Prakash Javdekar

Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar, speaking at silver jubilee celebrations of Pragna Bharati on Saturday said the five pillars of new education policy which are highly important will be accessibility, equity, quality, affordability and accountability.

“All these five pillars are important for new education policy. We need to add value education, sports activity, yoga.  Yoga is our own narrative which has been accepted across the world. Now there is ‘Samata’ day also. Ambedkar Jayanti also (being observed) by United Nations,” he said, speaking at silver jubilee celebrations of Pragna Bharati, Saturday night.

The Centre’s draft education policy was released last year.

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Stressing on the importance of innovation, he said innovation is changing lives fast and it can ensure a sustainable way of prosperity.

The Centre has come up with ‘Uchtar Avishkar Yojana’ to promote innovation and also organised a ‘hackathon’, he said.

The government is making efforts to set up 20 world-class universities in the country, ten each in private and public sector, Javadekar said.

The government is also launching Global Research Interactive Network (GRIN) programme, which will provide scholarship and opportunity to students to work with reputed foreign laboratories and enjoy the liberty of returning to India to continue with research, he said.

The HRD Minister also said the government has started the higher education finance agency.

An amount of Rs 20,000 crores would be raised in next one and half years. The amount would be spent to create research and academic infrastructure in the best institutes so that the best of the students stay back in the country, he said.

Javadekar said he sought a “positive Indology” to replace a “divisive agenda with which people are working on Indology”.

“Indology, Indian studies is suffering the world over because it’s a divisive agenda with which people are working on Indology. I found that I have ICSSR, ICHR, ICPR, then there is ASI in Culture ministry, then Indira Gandhi institute in Culture ministry and ICCR.

“I said you create a positive Indology. Because there only this negative narrative and divisive narrative of Indology. That’s wrong interpretation. It’s united country and will remain united. That’s the real narrative which must preserve,” he said.

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The NDA government is moving ahead with the agenda of making India prosperous that involves all, he said.

Meanwhile, Javadekar visited Bhongir in Telangana earlier in the day and addressed BJP functionaries.

Asserting that the victory of BJP in Uttar Pradesh polls is a vote for development, he dismissed the doubts expressed about the functioning of EVMs by BSP chief Mayawati.