Alexandria: PM Modi and US First Lady Jill Biden addressed a gathering at National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia on Thursday. Prime minister Narendra Modi, currently on a state visit to the United States, said that while the US has top-class educational institutions and advanced technologies, India is the world's largest youth factory. Speaking at the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia, on Thursday, where he was accompanied by US First Lady Jill Biden, PM Modi expressed his belief in the potential of the India-US partnership to become the driving force behind sustainable and inclusive global growth.
“To maintain growth momentum, India and the US need a pipeline of talent. On one hand, the US has top-class educational institutions & advanced technologies. On the other hand, India has the world's biggest youth factory. That is why, I believe that the India-US partnership will prove to be the engine of sustainable and inclusive global growth,” PM Modi said.
PM Modi also suggested starting an India-US teachers' exchange programme and hackathons on different issues. “To increase the engagement of scientists & entrepreneurs across the world with Indian institutions, we started GIAN - Global Initiative of Academic Networks - in 2015. I am delighted to tell you that under this, 750 faculty members from the US have come to India.”
Jill Biden, who accompanied PM Modi, underlined that by working together, both countries can achieve a safer, healthier, and more wealthy future for everybody. “Education is the cornerstone of the bond between India and the United States. Students from both countries are learning and growing alongside each other, discovering the people that they want to become and building a better world together.” She went on to say that for economies to be robust, both countries must invest in future generations. It must be guaranteed that young people are given the opportunity they deserve.
“With this official visit, we are bringing together the world's oldest and largest democracies. But our relationship is not just about governments, we are celebrating the families, and the friendship between both countries. The US-India partnership is deep and expansive as we jointly tackle global challenges. Education is an issue that is close to PM Modi's heart and mine,” the US First Lady said.
PM Modi highlighted some of India's efforts in the sphere of technical education. “Under Skill India, we have skilled over 50 million people in the field of artificial intelligence, blockchain, drone and others." He added that there are around 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in schools where youngsters are supplied with a variety of facilities for all types of inventions and the 'Start Up India' programme is being undertaken to inspire young entrepreneurs.
“Our goal is to make this decade a tech decade - Techade,” PM Modi said. PM Modi and First Lady Biden met with students from both countries at NSF. Anchal Sharma, an IIT Delhi student and Fulbright fellow at MIT, delivered a presentation.
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