Gandhinagar, Friday: Even as the world needs lakhs of quality teachers, Gujarat has initiated several action plans to fulfill the requirement, Chief Minister Narendra Modi said today while inaugurating a teachers' ‘chintan shibir' being organized by Swami Dharmabandhu Vedic Mission at Pransla in Rajkot district.
Mr. Modi said the 21st Century is dubbed as the ‘Century of Knowledge' and only India could lead the world in teaching man's duty to the society, character building and how to respect parents, guru and others. India has a rich culture and has been blessed with such illustrious teachers like Chanakya. If we have to make the 21st Century a ‘Century of India', we have to take a lead in providing gurus to the world, make India the ‘Vishwa Guru'.
He stressed on the need to create infrastructure and culture to provide quality education and produce quality teachers, along with imparting knowledge about modern sciences and technologies.
Talking about Gujarat's initiatives in this direction, Mr. Modi said, a Children's University has been set up in the state to take care of the children neglected by the breaking-up of joint family system which used to be a university of sorts. Similarly, an IITE is being set up on the lines of IIM and IIT to provide lakhs of teachers to the world. Similarly, he said, Gujarat is committed to produce quality sportspersons in Sports University, produce quality cattle in Kamdhenu University. Not to lag behind, he said, Gujarat has taken initiative in starting Forensic Science University and Raksha Shakti University to fulfill the Defence needs.
Former chairman of NCERT J.S. Rajput said that setting up a series of universities for human resources in innovative fields is the result of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's farsightedness.
The Chief Minister honoured scientists Dr abhash Mitra, Mr. Rao, educationist Dr. G. Ravindra and Dr Rajendra Dikshit. Acharya Aditya Swami and Surendranandji presented a shawl to Mr. Modi.
Earlier, Punjab's Women and Child Welfare Minister Lakshmikanta Chawla paid a courtesy call on Mr. Narendra Modi.
