Muzaffarpur (Bihar), Jun 24 (PTI) Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday called the National Education Policy "a civilisational renaissance" and a "nation-building mission to position Bharat as an academic superpower".
Speaking as the chief guest at a function in the north Bihar town of Muzaffarpur, he said the policy, made in 2020, seeks to nurture skilled professionals, fulfilled citizens, job creators and "create a true reflection of what we want in this nation".
He also lauded the L N Mishra College of Business Management, based in Muzaffarpur, for choosing the theme 'Indian Knowledge Tradition and the Perspective of National Education Policy 2020'.
"The topic is of seminal importance, critical consequence and will define our democracy and development," the Vice President said.
He also underscored that according to the Vedic principle, knowledge is a path to liberation and asserted that education in India has always been "value-based", a reason why it never underwent "commercialisation or commodification".
The Vice President also said that the world was looking at India because of the potential inherent in its young demography.
"The average age (in India) is 28 years......that is our strength. US and China are at least 10 years behind us," said Dhankhar.
He also paid rich tributes to the ancient heritage of the land, calling Bihar "the birthplace of philosophical foundations of Bharat".
"This is the land where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree. This is also the land of Jainism, where Lord Mahavira found spiritual awakening," he observed.
Dhankhar also spoke about the ancient seats of learning like Nalanda and Vikramshila, saying, "these will always be a beacon of light to us".
The Vice President also recalled the state's contribution to the freedom movement, highlighting the Champaran Satyagrah, which did not just challenge colonial injustice, but introduced a new grammar of governance, anchored in truth, dignity and fearless service.
Speaking on the occasion, Bihar Industries Minister Nitish Mishra said, "This college was founded by my late father Jagannath Mishra, a former chief minister of Bihar. It is a matter of pride that students passing out from here are making their contributions towards nation building".
Mishra also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "vision for developed India" for the National Education Policy and expressed hope that it would bring benefits to the youth.
Earlier, the Vice President was accorded a warm welcome at the Patna airport by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other members of the state Cabinet.