
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that nation's new education policy focuses on practical learning, acquiring skills and making India a "knowledge economy" in the 21st century.
"Our youth will now be able to learn according to their interests," Modi said, in his virtual inaugural address to the 'Governors' conference on the Role of NEP in Transforming Higher Education'.
Also read |The new Education Policy, 2020
India's National Education Policy (NEP) was approved in July and replaces the 34-year-old policy framed in 1986.
The prime minister said that earlier students used to choose a stream that was beyond their aptitude, but with the new changes in the policy, these issues have been addressed.
He also said the NEP will promote vocational exposure from a very early age, which will make youth better prepared for life and their employability in India and globally will improve.
Modi further added that to address "brain drain", "the NEP has paved the way for opening campuses of best international institutions in the country to bring them within reach of youth from simple families."
The NEP targets "learning instead of studying" and is based on "critical thinking rather than curriculum" with special attention on "passion, practicality, and performance", he said.
Asserting that India has been an ancient centre of learning, the prime minister said his government is working to make it a hub of "knowledge economy" in the 21st century.
"It is our collective responsibility that the policy is implemented in letter and spirit. The more teachers, parents, students are associated with education policy, the more relevant and broadbased it will be," Modi said.