Narendra Modi at the National Education Summit in Gandhinagar Friday. (IE Photo: Javed Raja) Narendra Modi at the National Education Summit in Gandhinagar Friday. (IE Photo: Javed Raja)

The age-old tradition of schools issuing character certificates will soon be replaced by aptitude certificates in Gujarat, said Chief Minister Narendra Modi during his inaugural address of the National Education Summit held at Gandhinagar on Friday.

“We are trying to bring in a little change to the age-old tradition, perhaps introduced during the British rule. When we leave a school, we are given a character certificate and wherever we go we show the same character certificate. Ironically, none of those accepting it understands its requirement or utility,” he said.

“I have made this suggestion known to my colleagues and work is in progress regarding this. There should be a facility, where children will undergo regular observation and monitoring while in school. With the help of technology, their daily routine and family members will also be put under observation.”

Debunking the existing system of field visits, he said students should be taken to visits to army camps, industries, manufacturing companies. “Do we need to pass a resolution in the Parliament and make a law for this,” Modi said, while addressing representatives from 33 states and Union Territories, including more than 100 vice-chancellors and directors, 84 scholars and more than 1,500 professors and teachers. Over 3,000 students, who attended the event were from outside Gujarat and 200 of them were from 40 countries.

Those who shared the stage with Modi included Delhi University Vice-Chancellor Dinesh Singh, Mumbai Vice-Chancellor Dr Rajan Welukar, Charles Zukoksi provost and executive vice-president for Academic Affairs University of Buffalo, State University of New York, Dr Kishore Singh, who was responsible for the right to education at UNESCO and appointed as special rapporteur on the Right to Education by the UN Human Rights Council, Italian Ambassador Daniele Mancini and Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama.

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest Ahmedabad News, download Indian Express App.