Ministry of Education and UGC organize Webinar on Ensuring Inclusive Governance: Making Every Person Matter’

National Education Policy 2020 aims to ensure equity and inclusion and is a true manifest of good governance – Shri Arjun Munda

Ministry of Education and University Grants Commission (UGC) today organized a webinar on ‘Ensuring Inclusive Governance: Making Every Person Matter’, as part of the vision to provide quality education to all. Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda addressed the webinar as a Chief guest. Secretary, Higher Education Shri Amit Khare; Chairman, UGC, Shri D.P. Singh; Joint Secretary, Higher Education, Smt. Neeta Prasad and senior officials of the Ministry were present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Arjun Munda said that Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) Scheme is reflective of Prime Minister’s visionary approach towards inclusive education. EMRS provides access to education to the marginalized population in tribal regions, he added. Shri Munda highlighted that the National Education Policy 2020 which aims to ensure equity and inclusion has given a national perspective to the education of tribals and is a true manifest of good governance. He also said that programs like Digital India, SamagraShiksha, etc are facilitating students from tribal and rural areas to compete at the national level.

Shri Arjun Munda stressed the importance of Self Governance with the spirit of SabkaSaath, SabkaVikaas, SabkaVishwas and SabkaPrayaas and said that the Prime Minister has given us this mantra with focus on people’s participation in achieving these ideals which is the basis of a true democracy.

The Minister reiterated that as we celebrate Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, it should be our resolve to empower everyone to take advantage of opportunities with our long-standing constitutional commitment to provide equal opportunities to all.

Shri Munda emphasized good governance, self-governance, and inclusive governance leading to inclusive growth. Shri Munda also reminded the academia about their responsibility of giving wings to the aspirations of the new generation, particularly the deprived one.

Shri Amit Khare shed light on the problems faced by students from the deprived sections of the society including, students from rural and tribal areas. Shri Khare stressed upon language problems being faced by the students. He emphasized the need for promoting Hindi and regional languages so that no student should be left behind.

Prof. D.P. Singh, Chairman, UGC in his opening address reiterated the constitutional ideals of equality of status and opportunity as pivots of our democracy. He called upon the leaders of higher education institutions to make concerted efforts towards good governance with a specific focus on inclusiveness and strive to provide opportunities to all their constituents equally.

The Webinar on Ensuring Inclusive Governance: Making Every Person Matters provided an opportunity to bring academic leaders, educationists, and administrators on one platform and was supported by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow. The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Sanjay Singh delivered the welcome address. Prof. Alok Rai, Vice-Chancellor of, the University of Lucknow in his Keynote address reiterated students as fundamental to our education system. He underlined the issues being faced by students from all sections of society and elaborated on different issues of Women students, Divyang Students, Tribal Students, etc. Prof. Rai emphasized value creation and value addition for students from different backgrounds.

The Technical Session was chaired by Prof. Sushma Yadav, Former Vice-Chancellor, Bhagat Phool Singh MahilaVishwavidyalaya, Sonepat, and Member-UGC. Prof. M.M. Salunkhe, Vice-Chancellor, Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune, Prof. H.C.S. Rathore, Former Vice-Chancellor, Central University of South Bihar, and Prof. BhimrayaMetri, Director, IIM Nagpur addressed the technical session.