NEP designed to foster science, technology: President Murmu
DHARWAD: Youngsters should be given skill-based technical education to help them pursue R&D to take the country towards development. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has been designed to give priority to science and technology to make the country strong and stable, said President Droupadi Murmu here on Monday.
Inaugurating the newly built campus of the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT)-Dharwad at Sattur near Dharwad, she said R&D, new innovations in artificial intelligence, IT-BT and nanotechnology will help the country grow and become a Vishwa Guru of knowledge.
Only when biotechnology, nanotechnology and neurosciences are integrated innovations occur in various fields and such developments should help the common man too. “The country and the world are changing fast and people are experiencing innovations of a digital India. There is a need to innovate and conduct more research,” she said.
“I have been told that a humanoid robot that speaks Indian languages to help patients and the elderly is being developed here.” she said. Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot said North Karnataka is becoming a hub of engineering, medical, agricultural and legal education. By implementing NEP-2020, the Centre is prioritising education and skills of students. The youth should make this country self-reliant, he added.
Technology should improve the living condition of human beings. The population is not a curse and can be turned into a strength, like it has been done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he added.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, “Our strength is not capital, our strength is human capability.”
The state and Union governments will give required facilities to IIIT-Dharwad to start M.Tech and other new courses. Every year, 2,000 students should pass out from this institute, he advised.
Union minister Pralhad Joshi said there is a demand for Indian students across the world. That is the reason, the Centre, led by Modi, opened more premier institutes like IITs, IIITs, IIMs and AIIMS centres. “Information and technology will change even poor people’s lives. By implementing Direct Benefit Transfer, the Centre has been extending financial aid directly to the needy people. This happened due to technology,” he added. Earlier, Sudha Murty, chairperson of the Board of Governors of IIIT Dharwad, explained how the campus has been built over the last seven years.