Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday praised the increasing numbers of educational institutions in the country and said that these institutions like IIT, IIM, NIT, and AIIMS are the building blocks of New India.

PM Modi was addressing a Valedictory Ceremony of the Centenary celebrations of Delhi University here in the national capital on Friday. During his address, he said, “Today, across the country, universities and colleges are being built. In the last few years, the number of educational institutions like IIT, IIM, NIT, AIIMS are continuously increasing. These institutions are the building blocks of New India.”

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Appreciating Delhi University on 100 years of its establishment, PM Modi said that DU is not just a university, it’s a movement and it has brought life to every movement.

“Delhi University has completed 100 years when the nation celebrates 75 years of independence. Delhi University is not just a university, but a movement. This university has lived every movement and has brought life to every movement”, he said.

Highlighting the improved gender ratio in the country, PM said that today the number of girls studying at Delhi University is more than boys.

“DU used to have only three colleges, and now there are more than 90 colleges that are part of the university. Today, more girls study at DU than boys. Similarly, in India, the gender ratio has improved a lot. It means the deeper the roots of academic institutions in the country, the higher the branches of the country that touch the sky,” he said.

“There was a time when India used to come under the list of fragile economies and today it is among the top five economies in the world,” he added.

Mentioning the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Ranking in which 45 Indian institutions got ranked for the first time, the Prime Minister said that the global recognition of Indian Universities is increasing.

The Prime Minister said, “The global recognition of Indian Universities is increasing today. In 2014, only 12 Indian universities were there in QS World University Rankings, now it has risen to 45. To improve the quality of educational institutes, we are working continuously. There were around 100 startups in India before 2014, today the number has crossed 1 lakh”.

He also noted the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) deal, done between India and US and said that this agreement will create new opportunities for the youth of the country.

“Between India and US, the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology i.e. iCET deal has been done. This one agreement will create new opportunities from land to space and semiconductor to AI for the youth of the country,” he added.

On the Valedictory Ceremony of the Centenary celebrations of Delhi University, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan congratulated the university for implementing National Education Policy (NEP).

“On completion of 100 years of DU, our responsibility has increased. National Education Policy (NEP) was implemented under the Prime Minister’s leadership. I congratulate DU for implementing NEP fully in the last 3 years,” he said.

“India is the oldest democracy. It is the mother of democracy. Parliament’s new building has been made. Prime Minister says one thing every time, ‘Yahi Samay, Sahi Samay’, ‘Today’s moment is India’s moment’. We should live this moment and fulfil our responsibilities,” Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan added.

PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the Delhi University Computer Centre and the building of the Faculty of Technology and the academic block which will be built in the North Campus of the University.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also attended the Centenary celebrations of Delhi University with PM Modi. (