In his address, Dr Manmohan Singh announced a slew of significant initiatives in primary, secondary and higher education. Amongst the announcements was setting up of seven new Indian Institutes of Management, five new Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, eight new Indian Institutes of Technology, seven new Indian Institutes of Management, and twenty new Indian Institutes of Information Technology.
Stressing the role of education in nation development Dr Singh said, “For every one of our people to benefit from new employment opportunities being created across the economy, we must ensure that every Indian is educated and skilled. No nation can progress unless its people are educated.”
At the primary education level, Dr Singh said that Government has decided to invest in setting up good quality schools across the country. Government will support 6,000 new high quality schools - one in every block of the country.
Dr Sigh also said the University system is part of the focus on education sector. Dr Singh said, “University system which has been relatively neglected in recent years, is now the focus of our reform and development agenda. We will set up thirty new Central Universities. Every state that does not have a central university will now have one.”
Focusing on the need for vocational education for skill development towards employment generation, Dr Singh announced that Government will soon be launching Vocational Education Mission through which it plans to open 1600 new industrial training institutes (ITIs) and polytechnics, 10,000 new vocational schools and 50,000 new Skill Development Centres. “We will ensure that annually, over 100 lakh students get vocational training – which is a four-fold increase from today’s level. We will seek the active help of the private sector in this initiative so that they not only assist in the training but also lend a hand in providing employment opportunities,” Dr Manmohan Singh said.
Concluding his landmark speech, Dr Manmohan Singh said, “I wish to see a major revolution in the field of modern education in the next few years. It is my fervent desire that India becomes a fully educated, modern, progressive nation. We will make India a nation of educated people, of skilled people, of creative people.”
