Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
New Delhi, December 22
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said dropout rates among Muslim women reduced to 30 per cent from 70 per cent due to the pro-women and pro-poor policies of his government.
Modi said the education and empowerment of Muslim women was a goal of his government.
Addressing Aligarh Muslim University students at its centennial celebrations on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said: “There can be ideological differences…But when it is the question of country’s progress all differences should be kept aside. On issues, we cannot have differences in the basis despite ideological and personal differences.
“There were difference of opinion in AMU… but Independence struggle became common ground. We need to work on common ground like Independence.
“Politics is an important part of society but there are other important things in society than politics. It is important to keep exploring those keeping in mind the country’s progress. When we come together it is clear that negative forces will also come together. But development cannot wait, youth, poor cannot wait, ” he said.
Quoting Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder of AMU, the PM said the biggest duty of every citizen is towards the country and its progress. “For the progress of the country, it’s every strata should progress so that everyone gets a chance to realise their dreams without religion and other constraints”.
“Desh ki neeyat or neeti main yehi jhalkta hai. Our government is working with the same intention…We have worked for the progress without any discrimination, ” he said.
The PM said there was a time when the dropout rate of Muslim girls was more than 70 per cent.
“Muslim betiyan ki shiksha was the biggest hurdle in the progress of the community. It was in these circumstances we started Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan and today the dropout rate has dropped to 30 per cent.”
“Muslim betiyon ki shiksha and empowerment is our biggest goal. We have given one crore scholarships have been given to Muslim daughters,” he said, also referring to the Triple Talaaq law by his government.
“It was said that if one woman gets education the entire family is educated ….At the same time we also need to decide their future, employment, entrepreneurship and empowerment,” he said, urging all institutions to encourage women towards not just education but higher education.
He spoke of New Education Policy and an increase in the number of educational institutions like IITs and AIIMS in the country and assigned the 100 AMU hostels to do extra curriculum task associated with India’s Independence. “Research on freedom fighters about which not known. Do research on their families, where they are”, he said.
He also asked AMU alumni to increase their contribution to India’s progress.
“Please give me your suggestions on how to make it atmanirbhar. When AMU was formed it was 1920, after 27 years we got Independence. This is 2020 next 27 years are very important for your life to be part of making a modern India, ” he told students.
The AMU has changed many lives, he said, lauding its services in nation-building and also during the Corona crisis and PM Fund.
“AMU is like ‘Mini India’, along with Urdu and Arabic, Hindi and Sanskrit is taught here. Its library has copies of Koran and also Ramayana,” he said.
This is the first time in over five decades that a Prime Minister attended an AMU event. He also released a special commemorative postal stamp.
**EDS: SCREENSHOT FROM A VIDEO POSTED BY @narendramodi ON SATURDAY, DEC. 19, 2020** New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at ASSOCHAM Foundation Week, via video link, in New Delhi. (PTI Photo)(PTI19-12-2020_000025B)
