The education minister is quoted as saying that India's advantages are its youthful population, substantial body of knowledge and also there is a lot of potential ready to be developed in numerous institutions located in various parts of the nation

According to a formal announcement, the US National Science Foundation has indicated an interest in extending its partnerships with India in the fields of education and skill development. NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan yesterday met with Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi to talk about shared interests and India's goals for STEM education under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

The education minister is quoted as saying that India's advantages are its youthful population and substantial body of knowledge. He continued by saying that there is a lot of potential ready to be developed in numerous institutions located in various parts of the nation. In addition to the top institutions in the nation, he continued, "NSF should consider strengthening its engagement with lesser known and previously underrepresented institutions such as NITs, Central Universities, and State Universities." The statement went on to say that Pradhan had stressed the need to include the skill sector in this type of partnership when referring to the education-skill continuum that is being developed by NEP 2020. He asserts that this can be accomplished by connecting with organisations like polytechnics, ITIs, and community colleges. He added that it was the government's top priority and duty to guarantee that all young people, whether they are enrolled in traditional academic programs or work in the formal or informal skill sectors, have equal access to high-quality education and skill development so they are prepared to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century.

The NSF, which has a USD 8.8 billion budget, is the primary federal funding source for disciplines including mathematics, computer science, and the social sciences. The NSF and India have six Technology Innovation Hubs where 30 projects, including several on cyber security, are being worked on by eight institutions, including the IITs and IISc Bangalore. The Director of NSF is in India to look into ways to improve these engagements. According to the official release, the education minister also requested that the Ministry of Education, under the direction of AICTE, create a framework for future interactions with the NSF while discussing with other pertinent ministries.