National Education Policy Balances Future Vision With Strong Roots: Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan
"Education has always been a key pillar and major attraction for India's youth," he said.
Highlighting the significance of futuristic education while preserving traditional foundations, the Union Minister emphasised that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has emerged as a visionary framework, shaping the future of learning in India.
Watch the video here:
#NDTVEducationConclave | With one year of Modi 3.0, what has been India's foremost achievements in the education sector?
Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp), in conversation with NDTV's Sikta Deo (@DeoSikta), shares his insights @ndtveducation pic.twitter.com/nF5qb3Gp3R
— NDTV (@ndtv) May 27, 2025
"The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has emerged as a visionary framework, shaping the future of learning in the country. With nearly 30 crore students between the ages of 5 and 23, India's education reforms hold immense significance. The NEP aims to blend traditional values with futuristic goals, with technology at its core," he said.
"Encouragingly, its impact is now showing positive results. The National Education Policy (NEP) is effectively balancing tradition and innovation, nurturing strong roots while preparing students for the future."
According to a 2024 report by the government, the country has made significant strides in expanding its Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Between 2014-15 and 2022-23, the total number of HEIs increased by 13.8% from 51,534 to 58,643. This growth includes a 59.6% rise in universities (from 760 to 1,213) and a 21.1% increase in colleges (from 38,498 to 46,624). Additionally, 42 new centrally funded institutions were established, including 8 Central Universities, 7 IITs, and 8 IIMs.
The expansion of HEIs has led to a substantial increase in student enrolment, with a 30.5% rise from 3.42 crore in 2014-15 to 4.46 crore in 2022-23. Notably, female enrolment grew by 38.4% from 1.57 crore to 2.18 crore, contributing to greater gender parity. Female students also made significant gains in STEM courses, with enrolment rising by 23% from 35.14 lakh to 43.03 lakh. Furthermore, the government recruited 52,482 candidates between May 2014 and October 2024, more than twice the number recruited in the previous decade.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
27 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
India–UK Free Trade Agreement: Sector and product-wise impacts
CHENNAI: India and the United Kingdom are set to sign a landmark Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on July 24, 2025, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visit to London. This is India's first major bilateral trade deal with a developed economy in over a decade. The agreement follows nearly three years of negotiations and is expected to come into force within a year, pending approvals from the UK Parliament and India's Union Cabinet. Here's a list of important tariff reductions and concessions on goods and services agreed upon by both countries: Key Tariff Changes Alcoholic beverages: Import duties on Scotch whisky and gin will drop from 150% to 75% immediately, and to 40% over the next 10 years. Automobiles: Tariffs on UK-manufactured cars, which currently exceed 100%, will be cut to 10% under a quota-based system. Other goods: India will reduce or eliminate tariffs on products like cosmetics, salmon, chocolates, biscuits, and medical devices. India Gains Almost 99% of Indian goods will get duty-free access to the UK market. This includes products from sectors like textiles, footwear, gems and jewellery, auto components, machinery, chemicals, sports goods, furniture, and pharmaceuticals. Textiles and apparel: Current UK tariffs of 8–16% will be eliminated. This is expected to boost exports from key textile hubs like Tiruppur, Surat, and Ludhiana. Beneficiary companies will be Welspun India, Arvind Ltd. Footwear: Zero-duty access will benefit manufacturers in Agra, Kanpur, and Chennai. This will benefit companies like Bata India and Relaxo. Automobiles and electric vehicles: Indian EV and hybrid carmakers like Tata Motors and Mahindra Electric will benefit from reduced import tariffs and preferential quotas. Gems and jewellery: Removal of UK duties (up to 16%) will aid exporters, particularly from Gujarat and Maharashtra. Auto components and engineering goods: Zero tariffs to benefit companies like Bharat Forge. Pharmaceuticals and medical devices: Improved access for Indian pharma companies to the UK market. Furniture, toys, sports goods, chemicals, and machinery: Reduced or zero tariffs will provide an export boost to these sectors. UK Gains Alcohol and luxury goods: UK-based firms like Diageo (Scotch whisky) and luxury carmakers such as Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover (owned by Tata Motors) will gain improved market access in India. Automobiles: British luxury vehicles will enter India under a lower-tariff quota system. Professional access to UK: Indian professionals including yoga instructors, chefs, musicians, and other service providers will have easier short-term entry to the UK. Social security relief: Indian professionals on temporary assignments in the UK will be exempt from paying social security contributions for up to three years, with estimated annual savings of ₹4,000 crore. Government procurement: UK companies can bid on Indian federal government tenders worth over ₹200 crore in non-sensitive sectors. This opens access to around ₹4.09 lakh crore in annual tenders. Macroeconomic Projections According global trade experts, this India–UK FTA marks a significant milestone in bilateral trade, offering major tariff concessions, enhanced market access, and new opportunities in services and public procurement. And it is expected to boost exports, attract investment, and strengthen economic ties between the two countries across strategic sectors. UK government estimates the FTA will increase its GDP by £4.8 billion annually. Indian exports to the UK are expected to double by 2030. Currently, over 1,000 Indian firms operate in the UK, employing over 1 lakh people and investing about $20 billion. The UK has so far invested close to $36 billion in India, making it the sixth-largest foreign investor.
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
India to get cheaper British cars, medical devices; UK fin services cos to get equal footing in FTA
Live Events Clean energy, financial services (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Indian consumers will benefit from improved access to British cars, medical devices, soft drinks and cosmetics with average tariffs dropping to 3% from 15% under the India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the UK said Thursday, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer signing the pact later in the India-UK trade deal is forecast to boost bilateral trade by £25.5 billion yearly, it said.'Our landmark trade deal with India is a major win for Britain. It will create thousands of British jobs across the UK, unlock new opportunities for businesses and drive growth in every corner of the country, delivering on our Plan for Change,' said two leaders will also unveil a renewed Comprehensive Strategic Partnership – the UK-India Vision 2035.'The trade deal, which is forecast to boost bilateral trade by £25.5 billion yearly, is both India's most comprehensive deal ever, and the UK's most economically significant bilateral trade deal since leaving the EU,' the UK said in a statement, adding that it significantly improves market access for businesses in both countries, leading to cheaper products and services for two sides announced the conclusion of the FTA negotiations on May agreement will lead to tariff elimination for India on about 99% of the tariff lines by the UK, including most labour-intensive products. The UK will gain tariff-free access to India for 85% of its tariff lines spread over ten years.'The UK and India's new vision for 2035 will go beyond trade with reinvigorated mutual commitment to drive prosperity and innovation, deepen defence cooperation through a new Defence Industrial roadmap, work together to secure our borders, tackle climate change and nurture educational connections,' the UK FTA is likely to boost India's textiles, apparel, leather, gems and jewellery, pharmaceuticals, marine and engineering goods exports.'The historic trade deal we have signed today is the most comprehensive deal India has ever agreed – putting the UK in the best position to partner with India over the next decade, promising to unlock thousands of jobs and boost growth across both economies,' said the UK's Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds.'The nearly £6 billion in new investment and export wins announced today are a sign of things to come, as future collaboration expands into advanced technologies, critical minerals, green finance, and beyond,' he per the statement, the UK's clean energy industry will have brand new, unprecedented access to India's vast procurement market as the country makes the switch to renewable energy and continues to see growing energy demand.'For financial and professional business services, locked in access will offer certainty to expand in India's growing market and measures such as binding India's foreign investment cap for the insurance sector, ensuring UK financial services companies are treated on an equal footing with domestic suppliers,' it British companies have announced new business in India. Airbus & Rolls-Royce will soon begin delivering Airbus aircraft – with over half powered by Rolls-Royce engines – to major Indian airlines as part of around £5 million worth of contracts recently part of the reinvigorated partnership, the UK and India have also agreed to strengthen cooperation in tackling corruption, serious fraud, organised crime, and irregular migration through enhanced intelligence sharing and operational collaboration.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
From Layover To Legacy: How PM Modis 1993 UK Stopover Ignited A Diaspora Powerhouse
New Delhi: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in London, chants of 'Modi, Modi', 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', and 'Vande Mataram' echoed through the air, a testament to a relationship that extends far beyond politics. For India's diaspora, this moment symbolized not just national pride but decades of connection with a leader who had embraced them long before reaching the country's highest office. PM Modi's deep and strategic engagement with the Indian diaspora has evolved into a cornerstone of India's foreign policy, especially during his second term. But this approach didn't begin in Delhi; it was seeded much earlier. Back in 1993, as BJP's General Secretary in Gujarat, Modi made an unplanned stopover in the UK while returning from the US Despite the brief nature of the visit, he met local Indian families in Croydon and Hastings, interacted with diaspora media such as Sunrise Radio and Naya Padkar, and even rode the London Underground to connect with everyday Indians. These early gestures sowed the seeds of a diaspora diplomacy that would blossom over the years. By 1999, following the BJP's landslide electoral victory, Modi returned to the UK for a five-day tour. Now a key national leader and the party's global face, he had already demonstrated his organizational strength in Gujarat, where the BJP expanded from 1,000 to 16,000 grassroots units under his leadership. His visit culminated in a landmark address at the Swaminarayan School in Neasden, hosted by the Overseas Friends of BJP (UK). Braving a cold drizzle, a packed hall of supporters listened as he articulated the BJP's vision, rooted in nationalism, tradition, and democracy. Attendees included British political figures such as Lord Navnit Dholakia and MP Barry Gardiner. In his speeches, Modi highlighted India's democratic values and positioned the BJP as more than a political party, as a civilizational movement embracing modernity, religion, and rooted culture. He was also honoured by the Lohana Mahajan community for his growing influence and his outreach to Indians abroad. In 2000, on his way to the World Hindu Conference in the Caribbean and the UN Peace Summit in the US, Modi again stopped in London. Soon to be appointed BJP General Secretary (Organisation), a role previously held by only two others since the Jana Sangh era, Modi met UK Deputy PM John Prescott to discuss Asia's political landscape and the rising threat of terrorism. In a powerful moment of foresight, a year before 9/11, he warned, 'Terrorism is an evil against humanity, whether in India, the Middle East, or Northern Ireland.' He also briefed diaspora leaders on Jammu and Kashmir's security situation, reinforcing his reputation as a leader with global awareness and local empathy. In August 2003, following the devastating Bhuj earthquake, Modi returned to the UK as Chief Minister of Gujarat to personally thank the diaspora for their support. Speaking to a packed Wembley Conference Centre, he said, 'You are the real friends of Gujarat. I have come to repay a debt of friendship.' His emotional tribute resonated deeply with the overseas community. During that visit, he also inaugurated Shakti Hall at the Gujarat Samachar and Asian Voice offices and delivered a speech that is still quoted fondly, 'IT is not just Information Technology, it is India Today. BT is not Biotechnology, it is Bharat Today. IT plus IT equals India Tomorrow.' He also met then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and political leaders along the River Thames, reinforcing the importance of diaspora engagement as part of India's broader diplomatic outreach. Even in 2011, during Gujarat's golden jubilee, Modi connected with the UK diaspora via video conference. Addressing an elite gathering in London, he declared, 'The name Gujarat and development are synonymous. Gujarat is creating history.' He also announced the construction of Mahatma Mandir using soil from 18,000 villages, and from diaspora communities around the world, including the UK. 'For me, the diaspora has never been a passive audience,' he said. 'It is a vital partner in India's journey.' Today, as Prime Minister, Narendra Modi continues to celebrate the global Indian community as ambassadors of Indian culture, democracy, and development. His enduring relationship with the diaspora reflects not only emotional resonance but strategic depth, making overseas Indians a vital force in shaping India's global identity.
