PM calls for universal education

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Chennai, Sept 6: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday called for making quality education accessible to all deserving children to realise its full development potential. He also stressed the important role the private sector plays and, has to play, in providing affordable and quality health care facilities to the masses.

Addressing the Sesquicentennial (150th year) celebrations of the Madras University here, he said, ''I urge all our political leaders to understand the central importance of education in the development of our country. Unfortunately, a considerable part of our public discourse is focused on short-term problems and on issues pertaining to access to what is presently available. We are not devoting as much attention to questions of growth and development and to the challenge of a multi-fold expansion of opportunities. An expansion that does not compromise on standards and outcomes, but at the same time, makes quality education accessible to all deserving children. That is what we should aim for.''

The Prime Minister said India would not be able to realise its full development potential if the hitherto neglected sections of society did not become active partners in processes of development. Education must contribute to the achievement of this goal. He complimented the University which has a unique and excellent track record in its 150 years of existence. The University honoured the Prime Minister with a honorary doctorate degree at a special convocation ceremony.

''I would like each one of you to create the inclusive, innovative India that is in your capacity to create, so that India can become a major power house of the evolving global polity,'' the Prime Minister said.

At a function organised in the IIT Madras campus, the Prime Minister inaugurated the 'Apollo Reach Hospitals' programme, a concept that will take world-class health care to semi-urban and rural areas.

The Prime Minister said that the challenge of providing affordable and quality health care to people cannot be left only to the State. The private sector has always played a dominant role in the provision of health care services in the country. "The nature of private health care provisioning in India is extremely diverse. It ranges from the village level provider of alternative systems of medicine to high quality specialty hospitals. This entire range of societal capacity created in the health sector is something that we need to build on.''