Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said IGNOU should be a world knowledge center. Speaking at the 35th IGNOU conference he called for the use of technology to reach the disadvantaged.
The minister said today’s meeting at IGNOU was a great boost to self-confidence as it highlighted great opportunities to teach at the university. He said IGNOU has emerged as the modern Lord Hanuman in bringing education and learning to the most remote areas and the poorest of the poor.
Shri Pradhan said the 21st century is a century of information. He said if we want to establish India as a strong knowledge-based economy, we must ensure paradigm flexibility in our education environment. He said NEP2020 was a step towards transforming our education and skills.
The minister said technology was a new standard. We must ensure the empowerment of our people through innovation, especially those at the bottom of the pyramid and ensure that education reaches the underprivileged. He said Digital University and other e-learning programs are steps in that direction.
Shri Pradhan said we should use our cultural resources and the great power of our Indian knowledge system to make our education system more cohesive, empathetic and do good in the world in line with the spirit of VasudhaivKutumbukam. He said using technology, innovation, the internet and digital, IGNOU must strive to further the educational canvas, strengthen e-content architecture and emerge as a world-class information center. IGNOU should lead the ‘Information Update’, he added. The Minister said he was delighted to be part of the 35th IGNOU Convocation. and conveyed his deepest congratulations and best wishes to the 2.91 lakh + graduates of 32 regional institutions across the country who received their degrees, diploma, certificate, Ph.D / M.Phil and gold medals.
Shri Pradhan commended the teachers, staff, alumni and IGNOU students for expanding the educational and learning environment and making the university a ‘जन-जनकाविश्वविद्यालय’ on its exciting 37-year journey. He said the comforting experience shared by our students today confirms the importance of the IGNOU proposal. IGNOU is a good example of a lot of outreach. He said making education and learning more flexible and inclusive while studying should be the goal of our universities.
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