Union minister for education, skill development and entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan has launched Ramakrishna Mission’s ‘Awakening’ programme for students of grade one to five. Pradhan said that this initiative is a step towards ensuring holistic personality development of a child aligned with the philosophy of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The minister called upon Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to institute an advisory framework for encouraging value-based education in all schools from Balvatika to 12th standard for creating a talent pool ready for the challenges of life and committed to national progress and global welfare.
According to the official statement, Pradhan said Ramakrishna Mission has a legacy of imparting applied education. “At a time when we are implementing NEP 2020, it must also lay emphasis on creating such value-based educational programmes for standard 9th to 12th in addition to programmes for grade one to eighth,” he said.
Further, Pradhan said that NEP 2020 is inspired by the philosophy of Swami Vivekananda. “From Swami Vivekananda to Sri Aurobindo and Mahatma Gandhi, many of our greats envisioned an education system that is progressive and rooted in our civilizational values to take the country forward,” he said.
The minister further added that social transformation is one of the key goals of education and values and wisdom are more important than material wealth. “Value-based education is important for building a future-ready and socially conscious generation,” he said.
Pradhan further stressed that India’s education system must be aligned to national priorities. He said India needs to create 21st century citizens capable of taking global responsibilities. NEP 2020 with focus on a teacher-led holistic education system for students is a step in that direction, he added.
The event was attended by Swami Shantatmanada, secretary, Ramakrishna Mission, Delhi; Nidhi Chibber, chairperson, CBSE and other officials of KVS, NVS and the education ministry.
Also Read: Jindal Global Law School partners with universities in US, UK, Italy to promote student mobility