262 New Medical Colleges Built After Modi Govt Came to Power: Pradhan

Union Minister of Education, Dharmendra Pradhan, highlighted the significant achievements of the Narendra Modi government during a seminar. According to Pradhan, since coming to power in 2014, the government has built 262 new medical colleges, surpassing the total number of medical colleges built in the country from independence until 2014. He also noted that while the Congress claims to have constructed 700 Navodaya Vidyalayas, the Modi government has sanctioned 692 Eklavya schools in tribal and backward districts within just nine years.

The Delhi BJP issued a statement quoting Pradhan, who mentioned that a research paper on the achievements of the central government's various departments, conducted by the Public Policy Research Center (PPRC), would be released in collaboration with local BJP units across different cities. As part of this initiative, a research paper focusing on the education and health sectors during the nine-year tenure of the Modi government was released at the seminar organized by the Delhi BJP.

Pradhan further highlighted the Modi government's efforts in expanding medical college seats and the rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasized that within two months of the lockdown, India not only began manufacturing PPE kits but also started exporting them to other countries.

Additionally, Pradhan pointed out the disparity in the establishment of AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) during previous governments. While only one AIIMS was built during the rule of the Gandhi family, the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee constructed six AIIMS. Pradhan criticized the Manmohan Singh government, which held power for ten years, for not building any new AIIMS. He credited Prime Minister Modi's commitment to providing quality healthcare to every citizen, resulting in the establishment of 15 new AIIMS over the past nine years.

Addressing the educational landscape, Pradhan stated that India, as a knowledge-based society with a rich history of civilizations, required a comprehensive national education policy. He highlighted the Modi government's efforts in conceiving and implementing a national education policy after a gap of 34 years, beginning in 2014 and officially implemented in 2020. Pradhan also mentioned the government's plans to construct Eklavya Model Schools, including hostel facilities, at a cost of Rs 45 crore.

Virendra Sachdeva, the Delhi BJP president, expressed pride in the global recognition of India as a rising power under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.