Government on Monday promised to facilitate development and promotion of sports, particularly rural sports, and said it will launch a National Sports Talent Search System.
Addressing the first joint sitting of Parliament after the recent Lok Sabha polls, President Pranab Mukherjee said the new government will also formulate a National Education Policy and set up IITs and IIMs in every State.
The President said children and youth of the country need avenues of recreation that develop them constructively and keep them fit.
“My government will launch a ‘National Sports Talent Search System’. It will facilitate development and promotion of Indian sports, particularly rural sports.
“Sports will be popularised by making it an integral part of the school curriculum and providing educational incentives,” he said.
Maintaining that India is the world’s oldest civilisation and today it is also a country with the largest population of the youth, the President said government must equip and nurture the youth with the right kind of education, skill-set and opportunity to reap this demographic dividend.
Mr. Mukherjee said government will strive for transition from youth development to youth-led development. It will set up massive open online courses and virtual classrooms.
“It will formulate a National Education Policy aimed at meeting the challenges posed by lack of quality, research and innovation in our educational institutions.
“We will set up IITs and IIMs in every state. In order to empower school teachers and students, a national e-library will be established,” he said.
With the motto of ‘ Har Haath Ko Hunar (skill to every hand)’, Mr. Mukherjee said government will strive to break the barriers between formal education and skill development, and put in place a mechanism to give academic equivalence to vocational qualifications.
“With the goal of Skilled India, my government will also launch a National Multi-skill Mission,” he said.
