New Delhi: Bridging global history with national aspirations, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri gave a sweeping keynote at the National Seminar on School Education, linking the post-war formation of global institutions to India’s journey toward universal education.
“The World Bank and the United Nations were conceived at San Francisco and Bretton Woods — moments of international vision,” he said. “Just like the Havana Charter laid the groundwork for GATT, and ultimately the WTO, we too must now build domestic institutions that anchor the Right to Education.”
Hosted by the Council for Social Development and the Muchkund Dubey Centre for Right to Education, the seminar brought together leading scholars and education experts.
Puri offered a macro perspective on how rights-based frameworks evolve — globally through treaties, and locally through constitutional mandates like the RTE Act.
“The RTE Act began implementation in 2013, with schemes rolled out steadily since 2014,” Puri said. “Comparing UDISE and ASER data from 2005 to 2023 shows real progress — but we must now focus on the quality of that education.”
He also highlighted the centrality of teachers, calling them “the true pillars of our education system,” and underscored the role of critical research institutions like MDC-RTE in advancing the goals of the RTE Act.
“This Centre has a historic responsibility — to craft research, policy, and partnerships that ensure no child is left behind,” he said.
Puri ended by recalling his mentors and teachers, including Prof. Manoranjan Mohanty, describing the personal and intellectual journey that shaped his views on education and development.
