New Delhi, Jul 9 (IANS): Education is a key pillar of Viksit Bharat, said Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Education Minister on Tuesday and called on states and Union Territories (UTs) to work together to achieve the goal.

He was addressing the inaugural session of a review meeting of the Department of School Education and Literacy with states and UTs.

While lauding the “tremendous progress” of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in the last four years, Pradhan also shared his thoughts on the roadmap for the next five years for the holistic development of school education across India.

He noted that in order to transform “Bharat into a knowledge superpower and enable equitable and inclusive access to quality education, implementation of NEP is key.”

Further, the minister said that the NEP stresses the importance of education in the mother tongue.

“Ensuring an education system which is both rooted and futuristic is our collective responsibility,” the Education Minister said.

As the world is “rapidly changing and being driven by technology”, it is important to build schools with “technology readiness with a holistic approach and ensuring critical thinking among students.”

He also urged both states and the Centre “to work as a team to strengthen the education ecosystem” and to “work cohesively for strengthening capacities, building a collaborative education system and leveraging education as the key pillar of Viksit Bharat”.

The meeting aims to discuss the five-year action plan; the 100-day action plan; on the status of the progress of infrastructure and civil works, ICT, and Smart classrooms under Samagra Shiksha for all States/UTs.

The authorities will also discuss the upgradation of Centres of Excellence; and the need for Tobacco Control guidelines in schools.