PM Modi Launches Projects Worth 4,400 Cr In Gujarat, Hails Teachers For Reduction In Students Dropout Rate

PM Modi, who is on a visit to Gujarat to launch various projects, hailed the teachers and said that once upon a time the dropout rate was high in Gujarat but today it is has reduced.

Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to inaugurate several projects during his Gujarat visit.

Source : PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a visit to Gujarat, on Friday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various projects worth around Rs 4,400 crores in Gandhinagar. During the event, PM Modi hailed the teachers and said that once upon a time the dropout rate was high in Gujarat but today it is down to 3% because of the hardwork of teachers. Speaking in state capital Gandhinagar, PM Modi said that no technology can understand the family problems of a student and only a teacher can understand and solve the problems of a student.

PM Modi said that earlier students used to get “kitabi gyan” (bookish knowledge) but the new National Education Policy (NEP) will change that. Addressing teachers gathered here from across the country for the 29th Biennial Educational Conference, organised by the All India Primary Teachers Federation, Modi said Google can give data and information but the role of teachers is to be the mentors of students.

“Earlier, we used to give just ‘kitabi gyan’ to our students, but this will change with the introduction of the New Education Policy,” Modi said. He said the new NEP focuses on practical learning. "Such an education system is at the centre of NEP and now it is the responsibility of the teachers to implement this system on the ground,” said the PM in an appeal to the teachers, as quoted by the news agency PTI.  

He recalled how one of his school teachers used to make him and other students learn about numbers using grains. Referring to the changes made in the NEP, Modi stressed the need for giving primary education to students in their mother tongue and added that NEP has made provisions for it.

According to PM Modi, education imparted in local languages will also help talented youths from villages to become teachers. “After our Independence, English became a dominant language. Even today, parents want their kids to study in English medium. As a result, talented teachers from villages and from poor family backgrounds stopped getting opportunities just because they never got a chance to learn English. Since NEP puts stress on education in local languages, it will also help such teachers in getting opportunities,” he said, as quoted by PTI.

Praising what he called the noble profession of teaching, Modi said whenever he met any world leader, including royal rulers of Bhutan and Saudi Arabia, they told him that they had received their education from teachers from India. The King of Saudi Arabia (Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud), who is a very senior and respectable leader, told me that his teacher was from Gujarat, Modi said.

Modi said though he has never been a teacher in his entire life, he has been a lifelong student who observes things happening in society. He told the audience that despite being the PM, he is still in "live contact" with his school teachers who are alive. Modi said that the role of a primary teacher is very important in shaping a child because, after family, it is the teacher with whom he spends the maximum time and learns from the teacher's behaviour and mannerisms.

In his address, Modi highlighted that the disconnect between students and schools is widening today as the students hardly remember their school after finishing their studies. To bridge this disconnect, the PM suggested that the school management along with teachers and local residents should start celebrating the foundation day of that school every year and invite past students. PTI PJT PD NR

PM Modi participated in the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Sangh Adhiveshan in Gandhinagar after which the inaugurations will take place. Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to visit to the "Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT city)". "During the visit, he will review the status of various ongoing projects at GIFT City. An interaction with GIFT IFSC entities will also take place to understand their experience and future plans in GIFT City. Prime Minister will also visit the city's key infrastructure facilities including the 'Underground Utility Tunnel' and 'Automated Waste Collection Segregation Plant'," the official statement stated. 

During the event, Prime Minister Modi will distribute keys to the individuals chosen to receive homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) initiative. "Prime Minister will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of PMAY (rural and urban) projects, as well as participate in Gruh Pravesh of around 19,000 houses built under the scheme. He will hand over keys to beneficiaries of the scheme during the programme. The total outlay of these projects is around Rs 1950 crores," the release said.

"In Gandhinagar, he will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of development projects worth over Rs 2450 crores. These include projects of Urban Development Department, Water Supply Department, Road and Transport Department and Mines and Minerals Department," it added.

Various development initiatives are set to commence, such as the improvement of multi-village water supply programs in Banaskantha district, an overpass above a river in Ahmedabad, the establishment of a waste management infrastructure at Naroda GIDC, sanitation facilities in Mehsana and Ahmedabad, and the establishment of an auditorium in Dahegam.

According to an official statement, a number of projects will commence with the laying of their foundation stone. These projects encompass a range of initiatives, such as bulk pipeline development in Junagadh district, enhancement of water supply initiatives in Gandhinagar district, construction of flyover bridges, establishment of a new water distribution station, and town planning road development, among other efforts.