New Delhi: Stressing the fact that all the knowledge including science is a means to solve the problems, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said the National Education Policy 2020 is meant for the needs of the 21st century and to make India a global leader in science and technology. Modi said the NEP 2020 has been made multi-disciplinary and offers flexibility of choosing various courses and allows multiple entry and exit points.

Prime Minister Modi, who was virtually addressing the convocation of IIT-Madras today, said that he was proud of the way institutions like IITs are advancing today and said this energy for innovation to serve has kept our country alive for thousands of years.

The Prime Minister urged the youth to be future ready and future fit, saying it’s their dreams and aspirations which shape the future of India. He expressed happiness that IIT Guwahati has already started making efforts towards this direction.

The Prime Minister lauded the efforts of the institute in contributing towards making the country self-reliant in spite of the difficulty in conducting academic sessions and continuing research work, during this pandemic.

The Prime Minister pointed out that the NEP also proposes a National Research Foundation for better coordination with all funding agencies regarding research funding and provide funds for all disciplines, be it science or humanities.

The Prime Minister said the NEP allows foreign universities to set up their offshore campuses in India, which would give global exposure to Indian students. He said NEP will establish India as a major education destination to the World.
Modi said the North-East region is the centre for India's Act East Policy and gateway to India’s relations with South East Asia. The mainstay of relations with these countries has been culture, commerce, connectivity and capacity. He said education is going to be another new medium and IIT Guwahati can become its major centre. This will also give the North East a new identity and new opportunities will also arise here.

The Prime Minister said new opportunities are being created in the North-East as the Government is laying a lot of emphasis for development of the infrastructure in the region especially railways, highways, airways and waterways.
The Prime Minister expressed happiness over 300 young fellows being awarded PhD at the convocation and requested them continue their research for the betterment of the country.  He urged the students to think about how their research can be linked to the possibilities of development of this region. The Prime Minister urged IIT Guwahati to establish a Centre for Disaster management and risk reduction so that it can provide expertise in dealing with the disasters of the region.