In a unique mass-contact program, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a televised address to students and teachers across India, live, on the occasion of Teacher’s Day in India. During his address, Modi spoke of his concerns that the teaching profession was dwindling in importance among the younger generation. “The value of a teacher has lost its sheen and why students don’t want to be teachers when they grow up,” he asked.
He pointed out that there was a great demand for competent teachers in the world, and India, with its yung population, should produce good quality teachers for the world. “People who had achieved something in life and taken to a profession such as doctors and engineers should teach students in a school for one period in a week,” he said. Looking at the significance of celebrating Teachers’ Day, Modi remembered Dr Radhakrishnan, one of India’s former President’s, and said serving the nation does not only mean doing grand things. Doing small things is a big service to the nation. He also spoke again of his plans to have toilet facilities for girl students in every school. He had earlier spoken of this during his Indepenence Day address. “Nation building should become a national movement and every individual should be associated with it,” he said.
Modi had earlier proposed calling his address the Guru Utsav address, where Guru Utsav is Teacher’s Day in the Sanskrit language. However, his plans came to naught as he was opposed by certain South Indian political parties, alleging imposition of the language.
Modi also reiterated his resolve to push girl-child education and called upon students to read biographies and explore about the lives of great people. Modi described himself as a “taskmaster”, and said he worked hard and expected the same from others. He brought his speech to a close by saying that teachers must play an important role throughout a person’s life, and that the teacher-student relationship must always be nurtured.