Tomorrow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will kick off a 3-day Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam in Varanasi. The 3-day seminars, organized by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the University Grants Commission and Banaras Hindu University, will bring together over 300 Vice-Chancellors and Directors from public and private universities, educationists, policymakers, and industry representatives to discuss how the implementation of National Education Policy 2020 can be expanded across the country following the successful implementation of several initiatives in the past.
The Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Anandiben Patel, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will also be present. The Summit will provide a forum for leading Indian Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to debate, deliberate, and share insights on strategies, success stories, and best practices for implementing the National Education Policy, 2020.
The Ministry, in collaboration with the UGC and AICTE, has implemented several policy initiatives such as the Academic Bank of Credit, Multiple Entry-Exit, Multi-disciplinarity, and Flexibility in Higher Education, regulations aimed at boosting online and open distance learning, revising the National Curriculum Framework to make it more in line with global standards, promoting multilingualism and Indian Knowledge Systems and making both a part of educational curricula, and mainstreaming skill education.
Many universities have already jumped on board the reform train, but many more have yet to adopt and adapt to the changes. Because the country's higher education ecosystem spans the centre, states, and private entities, extensive consultations are required to move policy forward.
This consultation process has been ongoing at the regional and national levels. Last month, the Prime Minister addressed a seminar of Chief Secretaries in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, where states shared their perspectives on the issue. The Varanasi Shiksha Samagam is the next in this series of consultations.
Discussions will be held on topics such as Multidisciplinary and Holistic Education, Skill Development and Employability, Indian Knowledge Systems, Internationalization of Education, Digital Empowerment and Online Education, Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Quality, Ranking and Accreditation, Equitable and Inclusive Education, and Teacher Capacity Building for Quality Education.
The Summit is expected to provide a forum for thought-provoking discussions that will articulate the roadmap and implementation strategies, foster knowledge exchange and network building through interdisciplinary deliberations, and discuss and articulate solutions to challenges faced by educational institutions.
The adoption of the Varanasi Declaration on Higher Education, which will showcase India's expanded vision and a renewed commitment to helping achieve the goals of the higher education system, will be the Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam's main highlight.
