Bihar: Seva Sankalp Abhiyan competitions see participation from students of 95,195 schools

Union minister Prahlad Joshi on Saturday said education must go beyond rote learning and securing jobs, and urged students to focus on innovation to build a developed India by 2047. Addressing an event here to felicitate winners of the 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' painting and state-level speech competitions, the education minister said the initiative had drawn participation from students of 95,195 government and private schools across 38 districts in Bihar. "The competitions saw you (students) express your vision of India in 2047 through paintings and speeches. Your imagination is very important," he said.

Joshi said the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims at promoting critical thinking, creativity and holistic development rather than limiting education to passing examinations and securing employment. "Our goal should not be just to get a degree somehow, pass an exam and get a job. We must understand, imagine and move forward with new ideas," he said.

Joshi urged parents and teachers to recognise children's individual interests and abilities instead of forcing them into particular career paths. He said initiatives such as PM SHRI schools and Atal Tinkering Labs were designed to create an environment of research, experimentation and innovation among students. "Children should be encouraged to develop technological solutions to everyday problems and turn their ideas into prototypes and practical projects," the minister said.

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He also stressed the importance of learning in Indian languages. "English proficiency alone does not determine a person's ability or success. School-level textbooks are being made available in 22 Indian languages under NEP 2020, while the DIKSHA application is offering digital educational content in 128 Indian languages and seven foreign languages," he said.

He credited former chief minister Nitish Kumar and incumbent CM Samrat Choudhary with efforts to strengthen the state's education system. The minister said India was emerging as a manufacturing, medical and skills hub, adding that young people would play a key role in achieving the goal of a developed and self-reliant nation by 2047. He also referred to government initiatives and innovation programmes, and said Rs 1 lakh crore has been earmarked in the Union budget for innovation. The event, organised during 'Seva Pakhwada' as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign, was attended by Choudhary, his deputy Bijendra Prasad Yadav and Bihar Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari, among others.