New edu policy will lay foundation of strong India: Naqvi

Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Saturday said the Centre would implement the new education policy soon which would lay the foundation of an empowered and strong India.

"After a period of about 30 years, a new education policy is going to be implemented in the country which will set the milestone of the development of the country," the Minister for Minority Affairs said.

He claimed the education policy would bring in a revolutionary change in the country's education system.

Naqvi said there were 16 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in the country before the new dispensation assumed charge in 2014.

"Our government has started seven new IITs in the last five years," he said at the ninth convocation ceremony of Abdur Rahman Crescent Institute of Science and Technology near here.

He pointed out there were 13 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) before 2014, but the new government has set up seven new IIMs in the last five years.

According to him, the centre's priority is to offer affordable, accessible and quality education to all sections of society.

On healthcare, he said the Centre has approved establishment of 75 additional government medical colleges by 2021-22.

The new medical colleges would be set up in under-served areas having no medical college, with at least 200 bedded district hospital, he added.