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Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday held wide-ranging discussions aimed at advancing Assam's education and innovation ecosystem in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
In a post on X, Dharmendra Pradhan described the meeting as "delightful" and said the two leaders discussed how to position Assam as a leading centre for research, entrepreneurship and solution-driven knowledge. "Delightful meeting with Hon'ble CM of Assam Shri @himantabiswa today evening. Productive discussions on strengthening the education, research, innovation and entrepreneurship landscape of Assam and establishing Assam as a prominent hub of solution-centric knowledge and research," Pradhan wrote. He added that these efforts are aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Purvodaya, which emphasises the development of India's eastern states. "Guided by Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji's vision of #Purvodaya, @EduMinOfIndia is committed to fulfil educational priorities of Assam in line with NEP 2020 and connect its talented population with 21st century opportunities," he added. Echoing this sentiment, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also took to X, stating, "Had the pleasure to call upon Hon'ble Union Minister Shri @dpradhanbjp Ji at New Delhi today. We had a very good discussion to augment and expand Assam's educational infrastructure. Looking forward to some exciting developments in this sector in the coming days." Meanwhile, amid a growing row over languages in Maharashtra, Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit on Monday said the mother tongue should be the first language one learns, while cautioning that language should not be used as an instrument of "hatred or superiority". Speaking to ANI, Pandit -- who taught at Savitribai Phule Pune University for over three decades and is fluent in Marathi -- said multilingualism must be encouraged and citizens should be free to choose the languages they learn. "My question is, language is very important. I would go with the mother tongue first, because anything in the mother tongue is the most important. The other two languages should be your market language, wherever you stay; learn the local language, and your career language, whatever your career requires you to learn. And I think this should be left to individual citizens," she said. Her remarks come at a time when states like Maharashtra and Karnataka are witnessing heated debates over the "imposition" of Hindi and the choice of medium of instruction in educational institutions. The controversy in Maharashtra began with the first government resolution issued on April 16, which introduced Hindi as a third language from Class 1 to 5. The decision sparked widespread criticism, with many accusing the government of imposing Hindi. (ANI)
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