Updated on: Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Lauding the concept of Auroville, Union Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal said “it is larger than life and it is much more than India is.”
“We all live in an imperfect world and perfection is one we strive to achieve,” he said adding Auroville has shown the world the importance of spirit of unity and humanness. “It symbolises what we ought to have done across the world,” he said addressing the Aurovillians after launching Passage, an educational magazine.
Touching upon educational scenario in the country, Mr Sibal said “education as we understand over the years was a formal structure for a child to start his career. It has never taught to understand the self.” However, taking into account the present “imperfect world” dominated by market economy, the country cannot afford to do away with formal education.
The option before the government was to allow the child to choose what he or she could find joy in learning, Mr Sibal said.
Later in an informal talk with journalists at Auroville, the Union Minister said talks are on with insurance companies to provide health insurance coverage to teachers and group housing coverage. The aim was to attract more number of people to teaching profession, he added.
Union Minister of State for Planning, Parliamentary Affairs and Culture V. Narayanasamy also attended the function.