Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 5 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Governor, Shiv Pratap Shukla, conferred State Awards to 14 teachers, while two others were awarded with National Awards on the occasion of Teachers Day at a function held at Raj Bhavan, a statement informed.

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has termed the next 25 years as 'Amrit Kaal', adding that during this period, "we should contribute to the development of the country in some way or the other."

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He said that only teachers play a pivotal role in shaping and enabling the future generation to contribute towards nation-building.

The Governor paid rich tributes to the late S Radhakrishnan, former President of India, whose birth anniversary is celebrated as Teacher’s Day throughout the country.

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Expressing concern, he said that today many youth were in the grip of drugs, which was a matter of concern for the future of the country.

There was a need to start a strong campaign against drugs he said, adding, "that students of schools, colleges and other educational institutions should be made aware about the ill effects of drugs."

Teachers could play an important role in teaching the students about the ill effects of drugs and make an important contribution to the entire society, said the Himachal Governor.

He said that the Government of India has implemented the National Education Policy in the country after 34 years.

"In the current context, this new National Education Policy 2020, which provides affordable education to all and has many merits, but its implementation is also challenging. It is important to understand its broader aspects and implement it and the onus lies more with the teachers,” said Shukla.

Earlier in the day, Education Minister Rohit Thakur said that the State Government was committed to the development of the education sector, saying there has been unprecedented development in the field of education.

"In 1947, the literacy rate of the State was only eight per cent, which has increased to more than 88 per cent today. Today, there are 140 colleges in the State. The number of schools, colleges and universities were quite large and school facilities were available even in the last corner of the state where our teachers were serving," he added. (ANI)

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