Government focusing on education, says PM Narendra Modi; announces RISE programme

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced that several initiatives have been taken to improve the infrastructure of education. The PM reiterated that the purpose of education is to make the balanced development of a person and that is not possible without innovation.

Inaugurating the Conference on Academic Leadership on Education for Resurgence in the capital, PM Modi said that for the improvement in the infrastructure of education RISE has been started. RISE or Revitalization of Infrastructure and Systems in Education programme aims to spend one lakh crores by 2022, said the prime minister.

The PM emphasised that knowledge and education cannot be limited to books alone and highlighted that in our ancient Takshila, Nalanda and Vikramshila universities emphasise was given on innovation along with knowledge.

"We have to accept another reality that no country, society or person can live in the world today by being isolated. We have to think about the philosophy of 'Global Citizen and Global Village' and these philosophies have existed in our culture since ancient times. Our government is also focusing on investing in education. To improve the infrastructure of education, the RISE i.e. Revitalization of Infrastructure and Systems in Education program has been started. It aims to spend one lakh crores by 2022," said the prime minister.

The government has also set up HEFA or High Education Funding Agency, which will provide financial assistance in the formation of higher educational institutions. A decision has also been taken to increase the budget of the National Higher Education Campaign.

"We have started this by giving autonomy to institutions like IIMs. Now IIM has got the strength to decide on its course curriculum, teacher appointment, board member appointment, expansion. The government will no longer have any role in them. This is an unprecedented decision related to higher education in India. Recently, the UGC has also released Graded Attonetary Regulations. Its purpose is to improve the standard of education, which will also help in becoming the best in it. Due to this regulation, 60 Higher Education Institutes and Universities have got Grade Attonyms in the country," said PM Modi.