NEP 2020 Aims to Create Enlightened Citizens and Deepen Democratic Roots: Dr. Najma Heptulla

Dr. Najma Heptulla, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey and Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi attended the 4th edition of National Teachers’ Congress, conducted by MIT World Peace University, and shared their views on the path-breaking NEP 2020.

Pune: The 4th edition of the National Teachers’ Congress (NTC), conducted online this year, concluded successfully at MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU), Pune. The four-day virtual conference was organised from 15th to 18th December 2020. This year, the theme of the National Teachers’ Congress was: ”NEP 2020: Opportunities Unlocked”.

NTC 2020 was attended by some of the leading academicians and educationists from all over the world, representing five continents. The Conference witnessed more than 43 national & international speakers, with 11 sessions, and was attended by around 3,000 participants. The inaugural address of each session was given by an Education Minister of a state.

Topics & Themes

This year’s National Teachers’ Congress (NTC) covered significant topics such as, the introduction of NEP 2020, the leap towards Atmanirbhar Bharat, Education Technology and Liberal Education, which were discussed at the Conference. School and university teachers from India and university teachers of Indian origin from foreign countries participated in this unique dialogue and shared their experience with their contemporaries in India.

Against the age-old settings of our rich traditional system of the Gurukul where there was a closely knit teaching and learning process at the core, NTC not only strengthens the Teacher-Student connect but has also created a progressive community of teachers. NTC not only unites the rural-urban teachers, but also allows them to bond with their Indian peers across the globe, enriching their perspectives.

Educationists and academicians engage in meaningful debate, dialogue, inter-cultural encounters and exchange of ideas on a number of thoughtfully designed issues. This helps them to understand national issues and equips them to play an instrumental role in overcoming challenges through their work.

Thoughts Shared at the 4th National Teachers’ Congress

Dr. Najma Heptulla, Governor of Manipur and Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, said,

“The New Education Policy 2020 is a landmark in the Indian education sector. The policy will help turn India into a vibrant knowledge society with an emphasis on vocational and environmental education. Universal high quality education is the best way forward and the policy empowers students to pick the subjects they like. It aims at a holistic education with the convergence of Arts and Science, creating enlightened citizens and deepening our democratic roots.”

She further added, “Native languages have been given special focus in the policy to help students understand their cultural roots. The policy places importance on the classical languages of our country to further inculcate a sense of pride amongst students in speaking in their mother tongue.”

Shri. Rahul V. Karad, Managing Trustee & Executive President, MAEER’s and Executive President, MIT World Peace University, said, “NTC is the first-of-its-kind multidisciplinary platform for higher education teachers from India and across the world. As a university that is on a mission for life transformation, we consider it our prime duty and responsibility towards our society and are immensely proud to be leading the way in providing a common platform to all educationists to understand and discuss the implementation of the new National Education Policy 2020. We believe that at this juncture, it is important to understand the policy and the educational reforms of the government.”

Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Padma Vibhushan, Veteran Leader, BJP and Former Union Minister for HRD, Home Affairs, Science and Technology, Govt. of India, said, “Education is fundamental for the development of society and for promoting national developments and national integration. Our ability to provide high quality education will determine our future. The National Education Policy 2020 addresses all aspects of the education structure.

After a gap of 30-35 years, we have a robust policy in place. The rich heritage of India has been the guiding light of this policy. NEP 2020 takes into account the local and global needs – instilling knowledge of India and its traditions and instilling strong ethics considered critical for inculcating national pride.”

He further added, “Diversity is the soul of creation, and we must rejoice in it. The concept of a non-violent society, a society in which all problems are resolved by dialogue – these are the guiding principles of the NEP 2020. This policy is aimed at creating equitable citizens and wants to create a society which functions through dialogue.”

Lifetime Achievement Awards Conferred

Further, the prestigious Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar was conferred upon Dr. K. Kasturirangan, Padma Vibhushan, Hon’ble Chancellor, Central University of Rajasthan, Chairperson, National Education Policy, Former Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha, Former Head, ISRO; Dr. Jagdish Gandhi, Founder Manager, City Montessori School (CMS) Convenor, International Conference of Chief Justices of the World; and Dr. Achyuta Samanta, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha (BJD, Kandhamal, Odisha), Founder, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) for their extraordinary contribution towards the education sector.

Conceived by Prof. Rahul V. Karad and passionately nurtured by him under the astute mentorship of Prof. Dr. Vishwanath Karad, NTC has established itself as a unique, first-of-its-kind multidisciplinary platform for higher education teachers from India and across the globe. It goes beyond being an academic conference and facilitates the sharing of interdisciplinary knowledge through plenary sessions, teacher-to-teacher connect and research paper presentations.

Leading Educationists & Academicians

The four-day Conference was a great success and saw the presence of a host of dignitaries, notably:

1. Dr. Najma Heptulla, Governor of Manipur, and Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia.
2. Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Union Minister for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Govt. of India.
3. Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, Padma Vibhushan, Veteran Leader, BJP and former Union Minister for HRD, Home Affairs, Science and Technology, Govt. of India.
4. Dr. Vijay P. Bhatkar, Padma Bhushan, Father of PARAM Super Computer, Educationist, and Chancellor, Nalanda University.
5. Dr. Tomio Mizokami, Professor Emeritus, Osaka University of Foreign Studies, Japan, and President, Kansai Japan India Cultural Society.
6. Mr. Eric Falt, Director of UNESCO, New Delhi, and UNESCO Representative to India, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka.
7. Shri. Ajit Rangnekar, Director General, Research & Innovation Circle Hyderabad (RICH), Former Dean, Indian School of Business.
8. Dr. R. A. Mashelkar, Padma Vibhushan, National Research Professor and Chancellor, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai and President, Global Research Alliance and former Director General, CSIR.
9. Prof. Manikrao M. Salunkhe, Vice Chancellor, Bharti Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University) Pune, former President, Association of Indian Universities.
10. Prof. Dr. Vishwanath D. Karad, UNESCO Chair Holder, Founder, MIT World Peace University, and
11. Shri. Rahul V. Karad, Managing Trustee & Executive President, MAEER’s MIT Group of Institutions and Executive President, MIT World Peace University.