Union Education Minister inaugurates two-day Virtual International Akhand Conference ‘EDUCON-2020’

The Union Ministry of Education inaugurated the two-day Virtual International Akhand Conference ‘EDUCON 2020’.

Context

The Union Ministry of Education inaugurated the two-day Virtual International Akhand Conference ‘EDUCON 2020’.

This two-day International Conference is being organized by the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda (CUPB) in collaboration with the Global Education Research Association (GERA).
Theme: The focal theme of EDUCON-2020 is Envisioning Education for Transforming Youth to Restore Global Peace.
Sholars from United Kingdom, Canada, Thailand, USA, Australia, Bhutan and India participated in the Conference.

Promotion of equitable quality education: This conference assumes significance as it is the first of its kind in India where scholars across the world would be exploring the possibilities of the use of ICT in the higher education to promote the equitable quality education in India.
Focus on research: It will pass on the message to the researchers and students across the globe that the research is a 24X7 exercise and requires strong perseverance.
Transformation through technology: It will also help the prospective teachers to become familiar with different technologies and their functioning to bring transformational change in the field of education.
Roadmap for effective implementation of NEP 2020: EDUCON2020 will certainly prove to be significant in preparing a roadmap for effective implementation of NEP-2020 and developing necessary skill-set among youngsters to enable them to contribute towards building an AtmaNirbhar Bharat.
Focus on emerging trends: Further, the conference will also provide a platform for discussions on emerging trends in education viz., likely scenario of higher education and school education by 2050, developing disruptive technologies for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Education.
Skill enhancement: Skill training programme for future graduates and relevance of ancient education system in 21st century.

The global education development agenda reflected in the Goal 4 (SDG4) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by India in 2015 - seeks to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030.
Such a lofty goal will require the entire education system to be reconfigured to support and foster learning, so that all of the critical targets and goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development can be achieved.
This National Education Policy 2020 is the first education policy of the 21st century and aims to address the many growing developmental imperatives of our country.
This Policy proposes the revision and revamping of all aspects of the education structure, including its regulation and governance, to create a new system that is aligned with the aspirational goals of 21st century education, including SDG4, while building upon India’s traditions and value systems.

The purpose of the education system is to develop good human beings capable of rational thought and action, possessing compassion and empathy, courage and resilience, scientific temper and creative imagination, with sound ethical moorings and values.
It aims at producing engaged, productive, and contributing citizens for building an equitable, inclusive, and plural society as envisaged by our Constitution.

The implementation of previous policies on education has focused largely on issues of access and equity.
The unfinished agenda of the National Policy on Education 1986, modified in 1992 (NPE 1986/92), is appropriately dealt with in this Policy.
A major development since the last Policy of 1986/92 has been the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009 which laid down legal underpinnings for achieving universal elementary education.