Emergence of knowledge society a reality, says Narendra Modi

Gandhinagar, Jan 9: Emergence of knowledge society has become a reality in the 21st century and "every week there unfolds new developments in education and research", said Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing the gathering after inaugurating the International Conference for Academic Institutions-2013 (ICAI) here today, he emphasised that co-creating and co-authoring knowledge will make it available to the whole of humanity. "When the information age transforms into a knowledge, we can reap the benefits," Modi said.

He highlighted the Indian higher education system's sophistication even in ancient times. "Nalanda, Taxila trained students in various fields. Nalanda University drew scholars from China, Korea, Japan, Indonesia and Turkey," Modi noted.

He shared his dream of a society "where each individual is a part of the creation of knowledge" and "where youngsters can do courses of their choice, where technology is used but the importance of the Guru is retained".

Calling for collaboration between individuals and also institutions, the Chief Minister said, "In Gujarat, if when we take up something there are no half measures. We take it up when we are sure of its completion."

Pointing out that "Gujarat is the first state to launch an Innovation Commission and the state also launched iCreate", Modi said that "the focus is not on degrees but on employability and skill development."

Laying stress on youth power's importance, he noted that India has the most number of youngsters in the world. Modi urged the Centre to take initiatives keeping in mind the fact that "by 2020, the average age of the nation will be 29-30".

OneIndia News