Union Minister for Education, Shri Pralhad Joshi, today inaugurated the new Academic Building and Main Entrance Gate of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) in New Delhi. He said that the new Building would help NIEPA scale up its national and international programmes and enhance its academic and research capabilities.
The Minister further underscored the importance of strengthening institutional infrastructure, stating, “As the Sanskrit saying goes, ‘Shariramadyam khalu dharma sadhanam’—a healthy body is essential for performing one’s duties. Similarly, strong infrastructure is essential for carrying out important work effectively. The new building, dedicated today, will strengthen NIEPA’s capacity to expand its activities. At the same time, there is a growing need to accelerate these efforts.”
Shri Joshi highlighted NIEPA’s role in monitoring the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, identifying implementation challenges and working closely with state governments to address them. He also stressed the importance of transitioning from rote learning to conceptual understanding, as envisaged under NEP 2020. The Minister referred to initiatives such as the PM Vidyalaxmi Scheme, which facilitated ₹60,000 crores in soft loans for higher education, and digital learning platforms such as SWAYAM and DIKSHA. He noted that SWAYAM had expanded access to quality digital learning and educational resources to learners across the country. He reiterated the importance of equipping young people with quality education and relevant skills to meet national and global needs, enabling India to contribute more to global welfare.
Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ms Deepti Gaur Mukherjee; Chancellor, NIEPA, Prof. Rama Shanker Dubey; and Vice-Chancellor, NIEPA, Prof. Shashikala Wanjari were present on the occasion.
