Time to make education India’s highest priority: RK Ranjan
Time to make education India’s highest priority: RK Ranjan

TMB Report

Imphal: Noting that education is the foundation of economic, social, cultural and human progress, Union Minister of State for Education & External Affairs Dr RK Ranjan asserted that it is time for India to make education its highest priority and invest in the education system and provide quality education to the youth of India.

Addressing the National Education Summit 2013 held at PHD House, New Delhi on Wednesday, Dr RK Ranjan stated that we must ensure that every child in India has access to quality education, so that they can develop their talents and become the best version of themselves leading to both their empowerment and of their country.

He stated that education is the key to unlocking the potential of individuals and communities besides providing the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in life. It enables us to access better jobs, higher wages, and a better quality of life. We must recognize the importance of education and invest in it. This means investing in quality teachers, modern infrastructure, and up-to-date technology and resources, he added.

He stated that the PHDCCI Education Committee has been functioning efficiently at the grassroots level, with strong national and international ties, to propel the Indian economy’s progress, harmony, and integrated development.

The PHDCCI National Education Summit 2023 has brought together leaders of the education sector to discuss and brainstorm ideas for a better education system in our country. Only substantive investment in human resources can ensure quality education which will lead to a more equitable and sustainable society, he stated.

The Union Minister conveyed that PHDCCI and the Ministry of Education are working together on Vidyanjali, an initiative by the Ministry of Education to encourage voluntary contributions for improving the quality of government schools.

He stated that the Ministry acknowledges and appreciates the fact that industry on its part has been doing wonderful work in this area, thus, the agreement between PHDCCI and the Ministry to implement Vidyanjali will help to consolidate the efforts of industry in philanthropy in education and provide a window for showcasing them on the Ministry portal, he added.

He urged all philanthropic organisations to connect with the PHD Chamber of Commerce and share details of their work with government schools so that these could be uploaded on the Vidyanjali portal of the Ministry of Education.

Such partnerships, such collaborations are the need of the hour. They will help us attain the vision which has been set out in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 for the development of education in India, he observed.

Dr RK Ranjan maintained that the NEP 2020 is a major step forward for the transformation of India’s educational system as it provides a framework for the equitable and quality education of all children, regardless of their socio-economic background. It also focuses on the development of skills and knowledge which are relevant to the changing needs of the labour market and helps them in gaining knowledge and foundation of values and principles in the society, he added.