International Literacy Day 2024: States should adopt NEP, revisit stance; says VP Dhankhar

NEW DELHI: The new NEP is a gamechanger and states that have not adopted the policy yet should rethink and revisit their stance, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar said on Sunday. Addressing the International Literacy Day celebrations, Dhankar cautioned against people who taint, tarnish and demean India's institutions and urged people to show light to those "misguided souls" not able to acknowledge the impressive growth of the country.

The vice-president said it was time "for us to be in mission mode" with commitment and passion to ensure 100 per cent literacy at the earliest. "Education is something that no thief can take away from you. No government can snatch it from you. Neither relatives nor friends can take it away from you. There can be no reduction in it. It will grow and continue to grow as long as you keep sharing it. If literacy is pursued passionately, India can reclaim its ancient status as a centre of learning, like Nalanda and Takshashila," Dhankar said.

Appealing to the states yet to adopt the new National Education Policy (NEP) to rethink and revisit their stance, he emphasised that the policy was a gamechanger for the nation. "This National Education Policy empowers our youth to fully exploit their talent and energy, giving due importance to all languages," he said.

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Cautioning against the people who taint, tarnish and demean India's institutions, Dhankhar urged to "show path to those misguided souls who are not able to acknowledge the impressive growth of Bharat and are not recognising the ground reality".

Highlighting the special significance of the mother tongue, Dhankhar stated that it was the language in which people dreamed. The vice-president also emphasised India's unparalleled linguistic diversity. "There is no country in the world like India. We are a unique nation when it comes to the richness of language, with several languages."

Reflecting on his experience as Rajya Sabha chairman, he said, "I afford members the opportunity to speak in 22 languages. When I hear them speak in their language, I listen to the translation but their body language itself tells me what they are saying." Dhankhar also called upon everyone to resolve to make at least one person literate.

"When we make someone literate, we liberate him or her, we help that person discover himself or herself, we make him or her feel dignity, we cut down dependence, we generate independence and interdependence. It enables a person to help himself or herself. It is a supreme facet of hand-holding," he said. In his address,

Dhankhar called upon everyone to promote literacy. "Time for us to be in mission mode with commitment and passion to ensure 100 per cent literacy at the earliest but I am sure this is achievable sooner than we think. Let each one make one literate, this will be a spinal contribution for Viksit Bharat," he said.