New Delhi, Sep 4 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday called upon the country's teachers to encourage students to "think critically" about broader issues and widen their horizon.

"Encourage them (students) to think critically about broader issues concerning our nation, society and the environment. Our goal must be to create good citizens who are capable of preserving the past and creating the future," Modi said in an email message to all teachers.

"Lessons in good citizenship inculcated at a young age will go a long way in creating a better society. This could be as simple as traffic rules, cleanliness, gender sensitisation, concern for the weak and reverence for the elders," he added.

Modi said the teachers' "determination and sincerity" will shape the destiny of the nation and also lay the foundation and the building blocks of the society.

"The influences and experiences you share with your students will remain with them for a lifetime... this is a responsibility of great significance because on this depends how our present and future generations will thrive," he said.

Modi further said "high respect" must be accorded to teachers to help the country regain the status of "vishwaguru".

"By according high status to the teaching community, India had once attained the status of vishwaguru. We must once again accord such respect to the teachers and thereby regain that status where India becomes the beacon of knowledge for the entire world," Modi said.