NEP 2020 recognises all regional languages as ‘Bharat Basha’, says Union Education Minister

India has the knowledge capability to find sustainable solutions at a global level, Dharmendra Pradhan said

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. File | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

National Education Policy 2020 is a roadmap for global citizenship, recognising all Indian languages as national languages with a view to fostering innovation and research, Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said in Thanjavur on Sunday.

NEP 2020 recognises the positive impact of the mother tongue in fostering critical thinking and innovation; Tamil and all other local languages in the country have been recognised as 'Bharat Basha' for infusing clarity of thought in the learning process, the Minister said, addressing the 36th Convocation of SASTRA Deemed to be University.

The NEP 2020 factors in the potential of mother tongue in terms of teaching methodology and learning outcomes, he said.

The emphasis on employability reflects in bridging the gap between education and skills, the Minister said, advocating entrepreneurship.

Digital leadership of India, as delineated in the Blueprint for Amrit Kaal (vision for the next 25 years), will take place through the 5G connectivity planned for six lakh villages by 2023, benefitting 30 crore households, the Minister said.

Initiatives were in place for harnessing and integrating knowledge in Indian knowledge systems in the forms of folklore and old literature. India has the knowledge capability to find sustainable solutions at a global level, Mr. Pradhan said.

The Minister conferred Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on Krishaswami Alldi, Professor of Mathematics, University of Florida, and Chairman of SASTRA - Ramanujan Prize Committee, and Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) on Chamu Krishna Shastry, Chairman, Bharatiya Basha Samiti, on the occasion.

R. Sethuraman, chancellor of the deemed university, conferred the degrees and administered pledge to the graduands.

Listing the progress made by the institution over the last one year, S. Vaidhyasubramaniam, vice-chancellor, said in consonance with the NEP 2020, translation of 75 course-related reading material will be carried out from English to Tamil within a year. Over 4,100 students, including 72 Ph.D candidates, received their degrees. Minister of State for Fisheries L. Murugan also participated.