Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed students at the finale of Smart India Hackathon 2020 via a video conference on Saturday. In his speech, Modi focused on the National Education policy which has been recently announced by the Ministry of Education.

“The 21st century is the era of knowledge. This is the time for increased focus on learning research and innovation. And, this is exactly what India’s National Education Policy, 2020 does,” Modi said in his speech.

Saying that the government is focused on the quality of education in the country, Modi remarked, “Our attempts have been to make our education system the most advance and modern for students of our country.”

He said that the NEP was designed keeping in mind the 21st century youth’s aspirations. “India’s National Education Policy is about the spirit which reflects that we are shifting from the burden of the school bag, which does not last beyond school, to the boon of learning which helps for life, from simply memorising to critical thinking,” he said.

The Prime Minister said that inter-disciplinary learning was gaining popularity, rightly so, and the National Education Policy prioritises that. “This will ensure the focus is on what the student wants to learn rather than what the student is expected to do by society.”

Talking about the policy’s proposal of delivering lectures in one’s mother tongue up to the fifth standard, Modi said, “Languages of India will progress and develop further due to the changes brought in the education policy. This will not only increase India’s knowledge but will also increase its unity.”

The new National Education Policy was approved by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday. The new policy replaces the old one that was implemented in 1986 and introduces hosts of changes.