New Delhi: The all-boys Sainik schools across the country will be opened for female students too, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Sunday during his 75th Independence Day address.
“We must ensure that women have equal representation in every sphere. We need to ensure that from roads to the workplace, women have a feeling of security and respect,” said the prime minister.
“For this, the law, the governments, the police and the citizens need to deliver on 100 per cent of their responsibilities.
“I used to get messages from lakhs of daughters that they also want to study in Sainik School. The doors of Sainik Schools should be opened for them too,” he said.
The government had in March this year announced admission for girls from the current academic year.
Sainik Schools serve as feeder institutions to prepare cadets for the armed forces and so far did not admit girl students.
Modi said about two and a half years ago, for the first time, an experiment of opening Sainik Schools for girl students from Mizoram was done. “Today, the government has decided that the doors of Sainik schools will now be open for its girl child.”
The 2018 Mizoram experiment was conducted first in Chhingchhip. “It is a matter of pride for the country whether it is education or sports, board results or Olympic medals, our daughters are performing phenomenally today. Today, the daughters of India are eager to take their space,” he added.
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NEP, sports to help empower the poor
In the education sector, Modi pointed out, the New Education Policy 2020 will become a major force in the fight against poverty. He said it will empower the poor child to become professionals with education in their regional languages.
Modi stressed on the fact that language should not act as a barrier for Indians.
“Today, the country also has a new ‘National Education Policy’ to meet the needs of the 21st century. When students will learn their lessons in a language that is close to their hearts, it will surely give them new confidence. Now our children will not stop due to lack of skills and will not be bound by language limits. I consider the new National Education Policy as a means to fight against poverty,” he said.
Modi said in India divisions exist with regard to language and in the NEP, an attempt has been made to give priority to the mother tongue so that it does not act as a barrier for Indians in any field.
Modi said there is another special feature in the NEP. “In this, sports have been made a part of mainstream education instead of extracurricular. Sports are also one of the most effective means in advancing life.
“Sports has been a good example of how people from different regions and languages have walked ahead. A similar trend will now be visible in other fields as well,” he added.
(Edited by Manasa Mohan)
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