New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined the valedictory ceremony of the centenary celebrations of Delhi University today and laid the foundation stone of three new buildings. Along with the Prime Minister, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan participated as ‘Guest of Honour in this event.
The PM, while addressing the event, said that India’s educational institutions are making their mark in the world and are true symbols of its achievements.
He said, “Delhi University is not merely a university but a movement…This university has lived every moment and given life to every moment…India was at the peak of happiness and prosperity when the universities like Nalanda existed here…When India had institutions like Takshila, the country’s science guided the world…during that time India had a big share in global GDP…but 100s of years of slavery destroyed its education centres and stalled the country’s growth.”
#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi, says "There was a time when Delhi University had just 3 colleges, now it has more than 90 colleges. There was a time when India used to come under the list of fragile economies and today it is among the top 5 economies in the world. Today… pic.twitter.com/bxZ0Uw7l5U
— ANI (@ANI) June 30, 2023
“Delhi University earlier had just three colleges….today there are over 90 colleges that are part of the institution….more girls study at DU than boys…. Likewise, India’s gender ratio has improved a lot….this means that the deeper the roots of academic institutions in the country would result in the branches of a country that touch greater heights.”
“Today many universities and colleges are being built across India. In the last few years, the number of educational institutions like IIT, IIM, NIT, and AIIMS has continuously grown…. they will form the building blocks of New India…In 2014, there were only 12 Indian Universities in the QS World Ranking…. now that number is 45….the education institutes of India are making a mark in the world.”
He said that there was a time when students used to give priority only to the placement before taking admission to any institute, but today the youth do not want to tie their lives to it; they want to do something new; they want to draw their line.
#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays the foundation stone of Delhi University Computer Centre and the building of 'Faculty of Technology', and of the Academic Block of Delhi University. pic.twitter.com/3fy16JmdSa
— ANI (@ANI) June 30, 2023
“The world is also recognising the value of Indian teachers today…we can turn these opportunities into our strengths….but for these, our universities need to be prepared…they must draw a roadmap to define their goals…have the mindset in this direction…by the time DU completes its 125 years….it must be able to rank among the best universities in the world…and for this, we need to increase our efforts….”
About the New Building
PM lay the foundation stone for the Delhi University Computer Centre, the ‘Faculty of Technology building, and the Delhi University Academic Block. These structures will be 7+1 stories tall, with cutting-edge infrastructure for the faculty of technology, a computer centre, and an academic block.
From the forthcoming academic session, Delhi University will offer B.Tech programmes with a capacity of 360 students. They will be served by the technology faculty building.
The instructions provided by Delhi University institutions for the live telecast of the university’s centenary celebrations include no black clothes, mandatory attendance, and class suspension between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education, will be the event’s honoree.
Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh said, “The prime minister will be the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the centenary celebrations of the Delhi University (DU) on June 30. Prime Minister Modi will lay the foundation stone of three new buildings virtually.”
DU South Campus Director Prakash Singh said, “We have plans to build a new computer centre. The building will be built with funds given by the Centre as part of the Institutions of Eminence (IoE) scheme. The second building would be the faculty of technology.”
Prakash Singh said, “The prime minister will also launch three coffee table books, including a logo book which will have logos of various colleges and their motto. One will have the activities planned for the entire year and the other will have our historical achievements.”
