Engineering education in local languages will be an instrument of empowerment: Education minister

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Monday that engineering education in local languages and mother tongues will be an instrument of empowerment.

Pradhan said during the 36th Indian Engineering Congress, which was organised by the Institution of Engineers, India (IEI), that "India has been a land of people with a scientific temper and robust engineering capabilities and our civilisational history has scientific evidence of structural engineering, water management, maritime engineering etc."

"With the implementation of the visionary NEP 2020, we are integrating education with skills, taking a multi-disciplinary approach and making skilling and apprenticeship a part of the main curriculum to prepare our youth for the 21st century.3

"Introduction of engineering education in local languages and mother tongue, in line with the National Education Policy 2020, will be an instrument of empowerment for our youth and will further strengthen our engineering prowess," he added.

Engineering education should not be limited to the giving of degrees, according to the Union minister, "we must collectively work towards removing language barriers in the learning process and building capacity of our engineering community".

"IEI must endeavour in further strengthening India's engineering capacity by innovating, knowledge sharing by its members and creating new paradigms of employability and entrepreneurship," he added.