Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday made a strong pitch for the use of local languages for education, appealing to experts and educationists to work towards ensuring that world-class content is available in Indian languages.

He reiterated that the government’s New Education Policy (NEP) laid stress on local languages to facilitate better learning. He added that the Union Budget 2021-22 gave an impetus to efforts aimed at connecting education with employability and entrepreneurship, emphasizing on innovation and research to take India’s education system to the next level.

“The New Education Policy encourages wider use of local languages. Now, it’s the responsibility of all educationists, all language experts to deliberate how the best content from the country and abroad can be prepared in Indian languages,” Modi said at a webinar, discussing steps taken in the Union Budget for the education sector.

“Everything is possible in this age of technology,” he added.

NEP, which was approved last July and was frequently referred to by Modi in his address, recommends a child’s mother tongue as the mode of instruction for students up to class 5.

He said India did not have a dearth of talent, but students among the poorer sections and those in villages faced language obstacles. He added the use of local languages for education will create a level playing field.

“Confidence comes only when the youth believe in their education and knowledge,” Modi said.