New education system aims to create equitable society: Kasturirangan

PUNE: K Kasturirangan, chairman of the committee that drafted the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, on Thursday said the vision of India's new education system is to ensure that it touches each and every citizen's life and creates a just and equitable society.

He said this during his virtual address at the 17th convocation ceremony of the Symbiosis International University (SIU) here. Kasturirangan said the NEP provides an integrated yet flexible approach towards education and emphasis is given in the policy to the aspect of holistic, multi-disciplinary education as a foundational component at all levels of education.

"The vision of India's new educational system has been crafted to ensure that it touches the life of each and every citizen consistent with their needs and necessities, besides creating a just and equitable society," he said.

"The approach is to realise a new system aligned with the aspirational goals of the 21st-century education while remaining rooted to India's value systems and ethos," Kasturirangan, who is the chancellor of Central University of Rajasthan and NIIT University, said.

'Liberal education'

He added that "liberal education" in the contemporary discussion has its origins in India's age-old idea of liberal arts dating back to almost 1,400 years. "In the modern-day social and economic landscape, this age-old Indian concept is now finding recognition in a new form. Liberal education explores the remarkable relationships that exist among the sciences and humanities, mathematics and arts, medicine and physics, etc, and more generally, the surprising unity of all fields of human endeavour," he added.

During the event, Adar Poonawalla, chief executive officer of the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) was conferred upon honorary DLitt by the SIU. Speaking on the occasion, Poonawalla said.

"We have struggled and been able to develop a vaccine in a record time for the safety and good health of the nation and for the world. And this is indeed also a proud moment for us where we are on the verge of licensure of a COVID-19 vaccine." The SII has partnered with pharma giant AstraZeneca and Oxford University for the vaccine.

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• DU considering introduction of 4-year UG courses under NEP 2020
• NEP 2020: Implementation will take years, say state committees

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