Scheme to boost teachers training on cards: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday mooted introducing a five-year training course after schooling for those aspiring to pursue a career in teaching and said the country should aim to export top-class teachers across the world.

Sharing his vision for an education policy which struck at the roots of social evils like lack of hygiene and female foeticide, Modi said, “India has a tremendous responsibility towards the world in the 21st century, which has been called the century of knowledge.” 

The PM was speaking at a function organised at the Banaras Hindu University, where he laid the foundation stone for an inter-university centre for teachers education.

Modi also launched a Rs 900-crore scheme “Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya National Mission on Teachers and Teaching”, named after the BHU founder, whom the Modi government has decided to posthumously confer the Bharat Ratna.

Modi said India needs to look at the opportunity presented by the world, wherein qualified and efficient teachers are in ever-increasing demand and aim at “the ability to export top-class teachers across the world.” 

He called for introducing a full five-year course for educators so that those aspiring to pursue a career in teaching could begin their training after Class XII itself.

He also denounced the practice of female foeticide prevailing in the country, saying “there is no bigger sin” than this and sought the help of people in the field of art and culture in “shaking” the society so stop the menace. “In a country where Rani Laxmi Bai is hailed, there is the practice of female foeticide. There is no bigger sin,” he said at a function in Banaras Hindu University here as part of ‘Good Governance Day’ celebrations.

Modi, who was talking in the context of his ‘Beti-bachao’ programme, asked whether a message could be spread for stopping this practice.

In this direction, he suggested that people in the field of art and culture could play a role by “shaking the society as they did during thefreedom struggle”.

He also suggested holding of ‘kavi sammelans’ on the social evil along with spreading the message about cleanliness.

“Please work for the nation...Dreams can be fulfilled,” he said. The Prime Minister also expressed concern over the problem of malnutrition of women and children in a country where there is a tradition of feeding even “ants and cows”.

The Prime Minister is on a day-long visit to his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi to mark ‘Good Governance’ Day.