Prime Minister Narendra Modi remarked that Delhi University is not just a university but a movement, and it has filled every single moment with life. addressed the Valedictory Ceremony of Centenary Celebrations of the University of Delhi, he said that the centenary celebrations of the University of Delhi are taking place at a time when India is celebrating the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav after completing 75 years of its independence.
“The universities and educational institutions of any nation present a reflection of its achievements”, he observed. Underscoring the importance of knowledge, the Prime Minister noted that when India had vibrant universities like Nalanda and Takshila, it was at the peak of prosperity.
“India’s rich education system is the carrier of India’s prosperity”, he said, underlining the high Indian share in the global GDP of that time. Continuous attacks during the period of slavery destroyed these institutions leading to obstruction of the intellectual flow of India and bringing the growth to standstill, he added.
He said after Independence, universities played a crucial role in giving concrete shape to the emotional swell of post-independence India by creating a strong generation of talented youngsters. Delhi University too played a major part in that, he said. This understanding of the past gives shape to our existence, shape to our ideals and expansion to the vision of the future, he said.
Modi pointed out that there were only 3 colleges under Delhi University when it began but today there are more than 90 colleges under it. He also underlined that India which was once considered a fragile economy has now become one of the top 5 economies in the world.
Noting that the number of women studying at DU is more than men, the Prime Minister pointed out that the gender ratio has significantly improved in the country. He emphasized the importance of an interconnection between the resolutions of a University and a nation and said that the deeper the roots of the educational institutions, the higher the progress of the country.
The Prime Minister noted that the goal of Delhi University was India’s independence when it first began, but now that the institution will complete 125 years when India reaches 100 years of independence, the goal of Delhi University should be to make India a ‘Viksit Bharat’.
“The third decade of the last century gave new momentum to the struggle for India’s independence, now the third decade of the new century will give impetus to the development journey of India”, the Prime Minister said. The Prime Minister indicated the large number of upcoming universities, colleges, IITs, IIMs and AIIMS. “All these institutes are becoming the building blocks of new India,” he added.
