PM Modi credits youth for India's startup success, vows to modernise education in fresh outreach

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made yet another attempt to reach out to the youth following students' protest over irregularities in NEET (UG) examination, and credited them for India's startup ecosystem success, while saying that they have given impetus to development of the world.

After inaugurating the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Youth Centre - Viveka Smaraka in Karnataka's Mysuru, the prime minister also recounted how his government is focusing on modernising the education infrastructure in India and moulding the system as per the latest requirements. 

Lauding the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, he said it will help India's youth prepare for the 21st century. Now, India has the facility where students can learn about engineering and medicines in their mother tongue, he added.

"In any country, the potential of the youth transforms into national strength only when they receive the right opportunities and direction, and the confidence to dream big and realise those dreams on their own soil," PM Modi said. 

"Our educational institutions play a pivotal role in this regard. I am pleased that the number of educational institutions in



India is steadily rising... Today, the country has around 1,40,000 MBBS seats. The number of medical colleges has risen to 823," he added.

In his address, the prime minister said he hopes that the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Youth Centre - Viveka Smaraka will become a pilgrimage site for spiritual upliftment. Further, Viveka Smaraka must be used to mold the youth and guiding them.

"Swami Vivekananda considered equality to be just as crucial as education for the upliftment of the nation. Ensuring there is no discrimination in education or opportunities has now become the nation's vision," he said.

This is PM Modi's another attempt to reach to the youth following the massive agitation at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi over NEET paper leak. The agitation led to Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, with the government constituting a high-level committee to bringing education reforms. 

The government has also introduced an anti-paper leak bill that has received President Droupadi Murmu's assent, bringing stringent laws against those involved in such incidents. PM Modi has hailed the bill's passage by Parliament and vowed to make India's exam system robust.