Narendra Modi on Teacher's Day-2014

Modi's Voice

• Quality of education is also important: PM

• Along with educational degree, youth should be provided practical skill knowledge and training.

• Even the most developed nations in the world lay great importance on skill development: PM Modi

• We our focusing on skill development to create more employment opportunities: Modi

• The final question for PM, "Are you thinking about giving an impetus to skill development?"

• We must see how girls can get schools close to their homes so that they don't drop out: PM Modi

• Arunima, a student from Delhi, asks, "Can you tell us about what further steps you will take on girl child education?"

• The entire world is facing an energy crisis, we must save electricity: PM Modi

• Not just electricity, we should also save water: PM Modi

• Difficult to produce electricity but easy to save it. We need to conserve, replies PM.

• Deepak Yadav, a student from Delhi, asks PM, "You ask people to save electricity. What do you expect from us and what can we do?"

• Students must inculcate the habit of reading books: PM

• Digital India is my dream. We need to make available latest technology in all languages: PM Modi

• When I think all my countrymen are part of my family, then I don't feel tired and I'm inspired to do more: PM Modi

•I want to keep working more: PM Modi

• The people of India are my family. Their happiness is my happiness and their sorrows are my sorrows: PM Modi

•  PM replies, "Politics shouldn't be considered a profession, but it should be an opportunity to serve."

•  A student from Delhi asks PM if politics difficult and how he handles stress so well.

•  Why not step out on full-moon nights and have a competition to 'thread a needle'. It will also help check one's eyesight: PM Modi

• Nagpur's Mayor shuts off street lights on full-moon nights and the people enjoy it: PM

• We have forgotten to live in sync with nature. We must start living in harmony with nature: PM

• Saving electricity, planting trees; it is small actions that help in serving the nation: PM Modi

• Humans should love nature and not destroy it: PM

• It is not climate change, but a change in our habits: PM

• Even children are speaking about climate change today: PM Modi

• Student from Tinsukia (Assam) asks how children can do to lessen effects of climate change and protect environment.

• Serving the nation does not only mean doing grand things. Doing small things is a big service to the nation: PM

• Students should also save electricity to work for the betterment of the country: PM Modi

• Student from Port Blair asks, "How can we contribute in development of nation?" PM Modi replies, "You should all become good students, which would be the best contribution."

• We must ensure that girls drop out of schools. We're implementing many measures and the results will be seen: PM Modi

• Lack of toilets is a major cause for girls dropping out of schools: Modi

• Education of women is very important, If a girl is educated, she educates two families: PM Modi

• ​I am really glad you are asking a question on education that too from a land where there has been lot of blood due to Maoists: PM

• To a question from Dantewada about steps to enhance education standard for girls, PM praises Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh for taking initiatives for betterment of education.

• But you’ve promised me you wouldn’t do such things: PM Modi

• As kids we used to go to marriages and quietly staple people’s clothes together: PM Modi

• Can there be any child who does not play mischief? Childhood experiences are very important: PM

• A student from Leh asks PM if he and his friends indulged in pranks during school days.

• A teacher should not discriminate. All children belong to the teacher. And every child has some talents and a teacher should concentrate on those: PM Modi

• There is a lot of emphasis on technology and scientific temperament in Japan: PM Modi

• In Japan, they give importance to learning. I saw that parents do not drop their children to school there. Parents treat all children equally: PM

• "In Japan teaching is almost equal to none, but learning is 100%," replies Modi.

• A student asks PM, "You saw a school in Japan. What difference did you find in their schools and our's ?"

• Any student can become the Prime Minister of India, if you win the trust of the entire nation: PM Modi

• A student from Imphal asks how he can become the PM of India? PM laughs and says, "Prepare for 2024 elections and invite me to your swearing in. It also means till then I do not have any threat."

• The 'shastras' say everyone is looking for the answer of 'who am I' : PM Modi

• I told officers that if they work for 12 hrs I'm ready to work for 13 hrs: PM

• I am a taskmaster. I work a lot and also make people work, says Modi

• A student asks PM Modi what kind of a person he is in real life?

• What is my biggest gain? That you children are all over on TV for the entire day today: PM Modi.

• The country is tired of looking at our faces on TV. Today they got to see so many students: PM Modi

• I welcome media for asking students what they would like to ask me: Modi

• If I had to gain things I would not come. Everything is not about 'labh.' Work without any 'labh' and the joy is different: PM

• A student asks PM Modi, "What will you gain by interacting with students today?" To which he replies, "There are some things that should be done without getting anything in return."

• I dream of doing things. Keep doing and in the process if you become something it is good; but there is a lot of joy in doing: PM Modi

• My teachers, education and values have played as important a part in my life as my experiences: PM Modi

• Never thought I'd become PM when I was young. I never even contested the election to become class monitor in school: Modi

• Yes we should dream but not to become someone, we should dream to do something, PM replies

• A student from an RK Puram school asks, "Did you ever think as a child that you will be PM of India and known all over the world?"

• It is said that experience is the biggest teacher but  a person's experience also depend on his education: PM Modi

• Very important to learn good things from your experiences in life: PM

• Education, teachers and values are as important as my experiences: PM

• My experiences as Chief Minister helped me a lot: PM

• On being asked about his experience so far as PM, he says, "I have not got time to see Delhi. It is only home to office and office to home."

• PM Modi congratulates all on Teachers' Day and opens floor to questions from students.

• It is easy to find information on Google guru but that is not equal to gaining knowledge: PM Modi

• Students must read biographies; it brings you closer to history, and increases our ability to understand the truth: PM

• Children should read about lives of people who have been successful in life: PM Modi

• How many of you like reading books other than those in the curriculum: Modi asks students.

• But this is also the age of physical activity. There's world beyond TV and computers. Will you be active, PM asks students.

• Importance of technology is increasing everyday,we mustn't deprive our children of technology, if we do then it's a social crime: PM Modi

• As a student you must have a lot of dreams. I believe that if one perseveres then no situation is too tough to deal with: PM Modi

• I want to request respectable people from the society to take classes in schools: PM Modi

• A teacher in Japan told me that students and teachers in his school clean toilets. Why can’t we have that: PM Modi

• Need the help of teachers to build toilets in all school, says PM.

• I said it on August 15 that we need to ensure that no school lacks toilet facilities for girl students: PM

•  Teachers are heroes for students. Some children even dress up like their teachers, this enthusiasm needs to be promoted: PM Modi

•  Dr Radhakrishnan did not celebrate his own birthday. He celebrated a day for teachers.

•  Until teachers get their due, it is difficult to bring about change: PM Modi

• There was a time when the most respected person in a small village was a teacher. Things have changed: PM Modi

•  India is a youthful nation. Cant we think of exporting good teachers? Why can't our children think — I want to be a good teacher : PM Modi

• There needs to be a debate as to why good students don't want to be teachers: PM

• We need to highlight the importance of teachers in society: PM Modi

• I feel blessed I can address students who are the future of India: Modi

• Prime Minister begins speaking.

• Students share glimpses into the life of Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan.

• A teacher is one who not only teaches but also learns in the journey of teaching: Irani

​• HRD Minister Smriti Irani addresses students.

• PM Modi arrives at Manekshaw Auditorium.

Keeping alive the Teachers' Day tradition he followed for over a decade as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Friday interact live with millions of young students and teachers, this time across the nation.

Between 3 pm and 4.45 pm today he will address about 1,000 students from various Delhi schools at the Manekshaw Auditorium and the same will be streamed to students through satellite link and live telecast on Doordarshan and on the human resource development ministry website. The PM's address will also be broadcast live by all Doordarshan channels to over 18 lakh government and private schools in the country, as well on radio. Live streaming on the web would also be available.

Modi will also interact - through satellite link - with students at National Information Centres in Leh, Port Blair, Silchar (Assam), Imphal, Bhuj (Gujarat), Dantewada (Chhattisgarh) and Thiruvannamalai (Tamil Nadu).

He will also take questions from some students across the country through video-conferencing.

Though Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani has assured attendance of students in their schools would be "completely voluntary", the exercise has kicked up controversy with many political parties and others questioned the timing of the address to students, which comes as Modi completes 100 days in office.

The Congress, Left parties and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have criticised the government for "creating controversy around Teachers' Day".

After the HRD ministry made the announcement last week, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and state education departments sent notices to schools asking them to make necessary arrangements for children to view the prime minister's address.

The CBSE, which has 12 million students across 12,504 schools, including 1,002 Kendriya Vidyalayas, 1,944 government schools and 8,966 independent schools, had in its notice said that suitable arrangements will need to be made to enable children to stay from 2.30 pm to 5 pm in the schools.

Many morning schools have changed their schedule to later in the day to accommodate this change and also asked the transport vehicles to adhere to the changed timing.

Schools have been asked to report back (through a Google form) on the arrangements made, and also on how it went off, after the show is over.

Similarly, a circular from Delhi's education directorate has also said that any "laxity in the arrangements shall be viewed seriously".

The event has led to logistical concerns for some teachers and students, with many private transporters not agreeing to ply in the evening hours.

Certain schools sent out bulk SMS to students asking them to watch the address wherever they can.

Though most states are adhering to the programme, the West Bengal government has clearly said that it will not make any arrangement for students to watch Modi's address and would "go forward with its own pre-declared programme".

Besides the address, an essay competition "Guru Utsav 2014" has also triggered controversy. The Congress and other parties, especially in Tamil Nadu, have accused the government of trying to rename Teachers' Day as 'Guru Utsav' though Irani has clarified that Guru Utsav was an essay competition and the winning students would get prizes on Teacher's Day.

शिक्षक दिवस की हार्दिक शुभकामनाये । Teachers' Day greetings! We salute all teachers, who tirelessly light the lamp of knowledge.

He said that by according high status to the teaching community, India had once attained the status of 'Vishwaguru'. “We must once again accord such respect to the teachers and thereby regain that status where India becomes the beacon of knowledge for the entire world,” he added.

The Prime Minister said the wheels of change have put India on the march towards 'Surajya'.

“Your determination and sincerity will shape the destiny of the nation! I want to see the day when every student is proud of his or her Teachers and every Teacher is proud of his or her students,” he said.

“The influences and experiences you share with your students will remain with them for a lifetime. You are also laying the foundation and the building blocks of the society. This is a responsibility of great significance because on this depends how our present and future generations will thrive,” he said.

Modi said that in the present day, often learning is equated with either collection of information or mastery of skills for occupations and jobs.

“Yes, that is important but I call upon you to widen the horizon of thinking of your students. Encourage them to think critically about broader issues concerning our Nation, society and the environment. Our goal must be to create good Citizens who are capable of preserving the past and creating the future,” the Prime Minister added.

“Lessons in good citizenship inculcated at a young age will go a long way in creating a better society. This could be as simple as traffic rules, cleanliness, gender sensitization, concern for the weak and reverence for the elders. I hope I can count on your support to make a beginning this Teachers’ Day. Let us re-dedicate ourselves to this task; this duty,” he summed up saying.