Mysuru: Skilling, reskilling, and upskilling are needs of the day and national education policy focuses on it and efforts are being made at all levels to make India a global hub for higher education, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Prime Minister explained this while addressing the historical Centenary Convocation of the University of Mysore via video conference on Monday.

In the convocation, Prime Minister laid emphasis on National Education Policy and its reach. He said, “ National Education Policy (NEP) is a huge campaign to bring fundamental changes to the entire education setup of the country, from pre-nursery to Ph.D. In order to make the youth of our country more capable and competitive, the focus is on a Multidimensional Approach”.

PM Modi further said, “in the last six years a new IIT has been opened every year and 7 new IIMs have been installed in the last 5 to 6 years. More than 15 AIIMS have been established in the country after 2014. Moreover, efforts to enhance higher education in the last 5 to 6 years are not limited to opening new institutes, but also to ensure reform to be made in government to gender and social participation”.

The Prime Minister said, “Even after so many years of independence, there were 16 IITs in the country before 2014. On average, a new IIT has been opened every year in the last six years. One IIT opened in Dharwad in Karnataka. In the subsequent 5 years, 16 IITs will be built.”

The Prime Minister connected with the students through the virtual mode from New Delhi where he spoke about NEP, new IIMs, the opening of new higher institutes, etc.

Narendra Modi made references to Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, M.Vishweshwaraiah, and National Poet Kuvempu during his address and wished that their vision should be an inspiration in building a New India.

The Deputy Chief Minister Dr. C.N.Ashwatha Narayana who is also the minister of Higher Education attended the occasion physically and awarded convocation certificates to the students.

The convocation was vertually attended by the Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala. Prof.G.Hemantha Kumar, The Vice-Chancellor of the University along with other dignitaries including members of the syndicate and the academic council, MPs, MLAs, MLCs, statutory officers, district officers, and students and parents are prrlesented

The University also conferred the honorary doctorate on Infosys Foundation chairperson and author Sudha Murthy during the convocation.

The address was streamlined live on the official website of the University along with its Youtube channel and Facebook page for the audience at Crawford Hall in the administrative block.