LIVE : President Kovind addresses the Visitor’s Conference on ‘Implementation of National Education Policy 2020 – Higher Education’ :

I appreciate the efforts of Dr RP Nishank, Sanjay Dhotre, concerned officials at the Edu Min Of India and other institutions for completing the process of policy making. Dr Kasturirangan, and his team, who prepared the NEP2020, deserve special commendation.

NEP aims to reorient our education system towards meeting the needs of the 21st century. It sets the vision of developing an equitable and vibrant knowledge society by providing quality education to all. This calls for achieving the twin objectives of inclusion and excellence.

NEP seeks to discourage rote learning and overemphasis on marks or grades. It seeks to encourage critical thinking and a spirit of enquiry.

In our tradition Jigyasa or curiosity for learning was encouraged. It was given greater importance than Jigeesha or the wish to win a debate or argument.

Universities and institutes of higher education should be centres of innovation. They should provide innovative solutions to national and local problems. Community participation and use of local resources should be encouraged for providing solutions to local problems.

One of the targets of the NEP 2020 is to increase the Gross Enrolment Ratio or GER in higher education to 50 percent by 2035. Technology can help in achieving this target.