While bomb blasts were widely reported between 2004 and 2014, there have been no such incidents in the past eight years, said former Union Minister Prakash Javadekar in Gandhinagar Sunday.
“Akshardham bomb blast, Punjab bomb last, Delhi blasts thrice, Mumbai twice, blasts in Pune and Varanasi… There would be bomb blasts at all places every day. Between 2004 and 2014, we would hear bomb blast news every day and people dying and injured. It was a naked dance of terrorism but in the past eight years, no bomb blasts were reported in these cities. This is security. It is not luck but determined efforts. Strengthening police strength at the same time to keep an eye on their supporters in order to break their support base,” said Javadekar delivering a commemorative lecture on the book ‘Modi@20 Dreams Meet Delivery’.
Talking about terrorism as well as Maoists and Naxals, he said, “Terrorism activities like Darbhanga, the tunnel module that is being hunted. These are the same terrorist organisations being formed with new names. Maoists and Naxal activities have been reduced by two-thirds. The area under their influence is only one-third which, too, will go and the incidents have reduced as well.”
The minister also stated that Pakistan has got a lesson by abrogating Articles 370 and 35A, and making Kashmir an undivided part of India and the development opportunities provided. “They did Pathankot, Pulwama and Uri but the surgical strike killed the enemy by entering their house, the air strike that destroyed the college of terrorists. This is new India,” he added.
Giving examples of development witnessed under Modi’s rule, Javadekar stated that the Bus Rapid Transit System, which failed globally, has been successful only in Ahmedabad.
The former education minister also stated that the National Education Policy 2020 is the largest consultative process in a democratic country. “A democratic process has been gone through for NEP with the largest consultation being done from gram panchayats to school teachers to school students to parents, colleges, zila panchayat, regulators and managers of education. Everyone was consulted. Among the most important things that came out of NEP is early childhood education,” he said addressing the gathering of educationists, vice-chancellors, staff of Children’s University and Indian Institute of Teacher Education at the 13th foundation day of Children’s University.
Gujarat Education Minister Jitu Vaghani said the institution, which was established 12 years ago by Modi, the then chief minister, is fulfilling its purpose today.
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Meanwhile, Gujarat’s Minister of State for Higher and Technical Education Kuber Dindor requested adding a new resolution to Children’s University to provide comprehensive education to expectant mothers about ‘Garbh Sanskar’–education to the child from the mother’s womb to adulthood.