Education system should not produce robots, says PM Modi in Varanasi

Varanasi: Taking forward his Swachh Bharat campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi revisited his constituency on Thursday and lauded people for helping rid the Assi Ghat of mounds of soil and garbage to restore the historical site to its old glory.

In the holy city to mark the Good Governance Day, he supervised the cleanliness campaign and also nominated various people and organisations to join the 'Swachh Bharat (clean India)' campaign launched by his government on Mahatma Gandhi's birthday on October 2 last.

Before leaving for Varanasi, Modi visited Vajpayee's home to greet the leader on his 90th birthday.

Modi on November 8 had wielded a spade to remove silt deposited at the ghat along the banks of the Ganga as part of his clean India campaign.

"People, social organisations, municipal corporation and state government have played an important role and we are seeing today that the ghat, which was full of soil, is now back to its old beauty along side Mother Ganga," he said in a brief address.

The Prime Minister nominated for the campaign Nagaland Governor Padmanabha Acharya, former IPS officer and activist Kiran Bedi, former Indian cricket team captain  Sourav Ganguly, comedian Kapil Sharma, classical dancer Sonal Mansingh, Ramoji Rao of Eenadu group and Aroon Purie of India Today group. He had nominated some people during his last visit as well.

In a first, he also nominated some organisations, which included Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Eenadu and India Today groups besides 'dabbewale' of Mumbai, who deliver home-made food to lakhs of people in the city.

Modi is in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi to mark the 'Good Governance Day' on the occasion of the 90th birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

At a function at Banaras Hindu University's Swatantrata Bhawan, PM Modi addressed students. Here are the highlights:

• This is a century of knowledge. And India has a huge role to play.
• Our education apparatus can't be one that produces robots. There has to be overall personality development.
• Whether it is science or technology, the vibrant mind of a young student is very important.
• In this land of the Ganga, there was education of culture. But, more importantly, there was a culture of education.
• Good education is linked with good teachers. We need to think how we can have good teachers.
• We need to think how we can create an environment where children want to become good teachers.
• A student who wants to become a teacher will not study just for exams but will closely observe the teachers and get inspired.
• Our culture is our strength, be it our songs, dance or art. These are very precious.
• Good governance is key to a nation's development.
• Every school can develop a mastery on any one aspect of Varanasi and this can be a great way to showcase Kashi.
• A tourist will come here drawn to the beautiful past but he or she will stay when we create systems that make them stay here.
• After my experience of six months I can say the world is looking at India.

All MPs of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which Modi had steered to a comprehensive victory in the general elections earlier this year, have been asked to be in their respective Parliamentary constituencies for 'Sushasan Diwas' and the Prime Minister through his own visit has sought to lead by example.

The Prime Minister's aircraft landed at the Babatpur airport on the outskirts of the city at around noon where he was received by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and state minister Ahmed Hasan, according to airport director S K Malik.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha, MoS for Culture Mahesh Sharma and state BJP president Laxmikant Bajpai have been camping in the city since Wednesday night.

The Prime Minister is likely to return this evening.