Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited his home state of Gujarat on Friday to attend the 29th Biennial Conference of the All India Primary Teachers' Federation, and inaugurate development projects worth Rs 4,400 crore. During an event, he highlighted that the BJP government's deliverance of welfare schemes to all irrespective of religion and caste highlighted "real secularism".
Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Sangh Adhiveshan
One of the key events attended by PM Modi was the biennial conference, or the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Sangh Adhiveshan, held in Gandhinagar on Friday. The event's theme was "Teachers are at the Heart of Transforming Education",
"I have never been a teacher, but throughout my life, I have been a student," Modi said at the event.
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In his address, the prime minister emphasised the importance of the New Education Policy (NEP) in revolutionising the education system in India. He added that it was his interaction with teachers that had helped formulate such policies at the national level.
Lakhs of teachers have contributed to the making of the National Education Policy this time, Modi said. Today, India is focused on providing new opportunities to students as per the needs of the 21st century; the new NEP has been made keeping them in mind, the PM added.
The NEP highlights the need for teachers to be more than just providers of bookish knowledge, Modi said, adding that while Google can provide data and information, teachers play a vital role as mentors in shaping the students' overall development.
PM Modi expressed his support for imparting primary education in students' mother tongues and highlighted the provisions made in the NEP to facilitate this approach.
Modi lays foundation stone of projects worth Rs 4,400 crores
During his visit, PM Modi also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for various projects at Mahatma Mandir in Gujarat, collectively valued at approximately Rs 4,400 crore.
These projects encompass diverse sectors and departments such as urban development, water supply, road and transport, and mines and minerals.
Speaking at the inauguration event, Modi said that India's development is a conviction and commitment to all.
"Nation-building is a continuous responsibility that we work to fulfil. When the poor are less worried about the basic needs of their life, then their confidence increases," the prime minister said.
VIDEO | "The country's development is conviction and commitment for the BJP," says PM Modi after inaugurating several developmental projects in Gujarat. pic.twitter.com/fqsOLk745B
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 12, 2023
The new initiatives include the augmentation of multi-village drinking water supply schemes in Banaskantha district, a river overbridge in Ahmedabad, and sewage treatment plants in Mehsana and Ahmedabad, among others.
Pradha Mantri Awas Yojna
The prime minister also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for projects under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna (PMAY), an initiative that aims to provide housing for all, both in rural and urban areas, with the goal of achieving inclusive and sustainable development.
"Our government does not look at religion or caste while delivering benefits," Modi claimed.
"This is real secularism," he said.
The prime minister took part in the "Griha Pravesh" ceremony, marking the entry of approximately 19,000 beneficiaries into their new homes under the PMAY scheme.
During the event, Modi claimed that his government had built 40 million houses in the past nine years, out of which 70 percent had been given to women.
"After 2014, we did not limit the house of the poor only to a concrete roof," Modi claimed, adding, "Instead, we made the house a solid foundation for the fight against poverty, a medium of empowerment of the poor and their dignity."
Gujarat International Finance Tec-City
While in Gujarat, PM Modi will also visit the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) to assess the status of ongoing works in the region.
GIFT City is a project aimed at establishing an international financial services centre in India, providing a conducive environment for domestic and global financial institutions.
With agency inputs.
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