10 Takeaways From Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Teachers’ Day Speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke the barrier today and interacted with school children on a mass scale.

Addressing millions of students and teachers across the country, the Prime Minister, in his Teacher’s Day address to the nation, raised many pertinent questions and tried to answer some.

Here are 10 takeaways from his speech and the interaction with students:

1. There is need for more good teachers: Today, students think about becoming doctors and engineers or even corporates. And they achieve their goals with the help of their teachers. But many do not think about the future which says who will teach their children? Why doesn’t a student want to be a teacher? There is a need for good teachers in the world. And the Prime Minister took thins question to the next level when he said why can’t India export teachers?
2. Learning is important, not gathering information: The Prime Minister in his address told children that nowadays everybody gather information about anything from Google Guru, but that does not ensure learning. To learn, one needs to observe, interact and debate on the issue.
3. Read, read and play: The Prime Minister said that children must read. They should read whatever they like. They should read autobiographies/biographies of the people of the fields that they like. That way, they will become closer to history. But, it is also important that they sweat. For a healthy mind dwells in a healthy body.
4. Ensure education for all by ensuring girls’ education: The Prime Minister has always said that his priority is educating girl child of the country. Today too, he reiterated by saying that you educate a family when you educate a girl child.
5. Toilets and cleanliness: The Prime Minister urged the schools to ensure facility of separate and clean toilets for girl students.
6. Politics is not a profession: The Prime Minister, while answering a question from a student, said that politics is not a profession. It is a service. One who is in politics should serve people like his or her family member.
7. We have changed: On the serious issue of climate change, the Prime Minister told the children that it is not the climate that has changed but it is the people and their habits that has changed. He urged the students and teachers to inculcate green practices in children.
8. Serve the nation whatever way you can: The Prime Minister said that there is no need to do big things for serving the nation. Start from ground level. Save electricity, save environment if you want to serve nation.
9. Development of modern technology: The Prime Minister said that he needed students to excel in the field of technology and needed excellent engineers to fulfill the dream of a Digital India.
10. Dream about doing something, not becoming someone: The Prime Minister said that the focus of every student should be on doing something – doing something for the country, something for the people or something for the society. But one must not try to become someone. One should try to reflect on what a person is in real life than pretending to be someone else.

HRD Minister Smriti Irani was also present at the Mankeshaw Auditoriam where the Prime Minister addressed over 1000 students live and millions through video conferencing.