New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday interacted with National Award winning teachers on the occassion of Teacher's Day and said India was moving in the right direction to strengthen its education ecosystem. PM Modi also said teachers played an important role in formulating the new National Education Policy, which was launched in 2020.
"Our teachers have played a big role in formulating the National Education Policy. We are grateful to the teachers for shaping young minds," ANI quoted PM Modi as saying.
The NEP, approved by the Union Cabinet in 2020, replaced the 34-year-old National Policy on Education framed in 1986 and is aimed at paving the way for transformational reforms in school and higher education systems.
"India has surpassed the UK to become the world's fifth biggest economy. Achieving this spot is special as we have left behind those who ruled over us for 250 years," PM Modi further said at the event.
Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu gave the National Awards to Teachers 2022 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The prize was received by 46 teachers from across the country who were chosen from Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, and Telangana, among other states.
Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education, Skill Development, and Entrepreneurship was also present during the event.
Among the award recipients were 39-year-old Arun Kumar Garg, a headmaster of a government model school in the Datewas village of Punjab's Mansa district. He launched the "Abhyaas by Arun sir" YouTube channel during the Covid-19 epidemic to offer free Punjabi lessons in mathematics.
Rakesh Patel, the principal of the Nava Nadisar Prathmik Shala in Gujarat's Panchmahal district also received the award who brought about transformation for an entire community via his initiatives.
The purpose of National Awards to Teachers is to celebrate and honour the unique contribution of some of the finest teachers in the country who through their commitment and hard work have not only improved the quality of school education but also enriched the lives of their students, read the official press release by Prime Minister's Office.
The National Awards to Teachers accords public recognition to meritorious teachers working in elementary and secondary schools. For the award this year, 45 teachers from across the country have been selected through a rigorous and transparent online three stage process, it added.