Former Education Minister says India’s education system must blend technology with human values and its civilisational knowledge traditions
“Don’t Make a Machine, Make a Human”: Dr Nishank Calls for Holistic Education Under NEP 2020 on CNMS Seminar
Former Union Education Minister Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ called for an education system that prioritises human development, values and cultural rootedness while embracing innovation and technology. “Don’t make a machine, make a human. This is the first condition of this new education policy,” Dr. Nishank said while addressing a special session of the ‘NaMo Viksit Bharat Samvad’ series, organised by the Centre for NaMo Studies (CNMS) in collaboration with the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre at DAIC Janpath, New Delhi.
Speaking on “The Implementation of the National Education Policy 2020: Strengthening Inclusive, Innovative, Future-Ready Higher Education in India and Gen Z,” he stressed the importance of learning in Indian languages and respecting the country’s linguistic diversity. “Do your primary education in your language. Tamil Nadu, do it in Tamil. Kerala, do it in Malayalam,” Dr Nishank said.
Dr. Nishank also underlined the need to move beyond the legacy of colonial education and reconnect learning with India’s intellectual and knowledge traditions.
Former Governor of Assam Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, who chaired the programme, said the strength of a nation depends substantially on the quality of its education system. He called for integrating the creativity and aspirations of Gen Z into India’s emerging educational vision.
Ms. Anca Verma, Managing Trustee, Shrikant Verma Trust, said NEP 2020 represented a significant shift towards an education system that is modern and technology-enabled while remaining connected to India’s cultural roots.
CNMS Chairman Prof. Jasim Mohammad said the initiative brought together NEP 2020, Indian Knowledge Systems and Gen Z, stressing that teachers remain central to educational transformation.
The workshops with three sessions featured deliberations by educationists and academics, including Prof. Lovely Sharma, Prof. Payal Kanwar Chandel, Prof. Raman Chadha, Dr. Syed Mahrul Hasan, Dr. Shreedevi Kalyan, Prof. Divya Tanwar, Dr Amna Mirza and DAIC Director Col. Akash Patil.
The Viksit Bharat Shikshak Puraskar 2026 was also presented to ten educators for their contributions to teaching and nation-building. CNMS interns also shared their perspectives on technology, skills, innovation and the future of education.
