English just a medium of communication, not mark of being intellectual: PM Modi

Advocating the use of local languages in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that English is just a medium of communication, not a benchmark of being intellectual.

While speaking at Gujarat government' s Mission Schools of Excellence initiative at Adalaj town in Gandhinagar, PM Modi pointed out that earlier English was considered the benchmark of being intellectual despite being a medium of communication.

"Earlier, knowledge of the English language was considered a mark of being intellectual. In reality, the English language is just a medium of communication," the Prime Minister said.

During his speech, PM Modi also asked to make sure those comfortable in Hindi and not English aren't left behind.

"The English language barrier was a hindrance. Many young talents from villages could not become doctors and



engineers because they were not well-versed in English," he said.

The PM also assured that the New Education Policy (NEP) will pull the country out of the "slave mentality" surrounding the English language.

"We aim to ensure that children of poor parents become doctors and engineers even if they are not educated in English (medium). We want to ensure that no one is left behind due to the lack of the English language," Modi said, adding the "New Education Policy of the Centre will pull the country out from this slave mentality surrounding the English language".

Furthermore, the Prime Minister also said that the newly launched 5G telecom services in the country will take the education system to the next level. "The 5G service will go beyond smart facilities, smart classrooms and well as smart teachings. It will take our education system to the next level," he said.