Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that sports could no longer be ignored in the school curriculum as the new education policy placed it in the same category as other subjects.
Laying the foundation stone for an international cricket stadium in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, on Saturday, Mr. Modi said, “Under the National Education Policy, 2020, importance of sports cannot be neglected, it is in the same category as other subjects.”
Starting his speech in Bhojpuri, Mr. Modi said gone were the days when only big cities used to have large stadiums. “Remote locations now have sports facilities similar to those in bigger cities of Delhi and Mumbai,” he said.
Economic boon
Terming the stadium a potential boon for eastern Uttar Pradesh, he said the facility would not only benefit sportspersons but also help boost the economy of the Purvanchal region. “I am privileged to visit Banaras [Varanasi] again, which can’t be expressed in words. The stadium to be built in the city of Mahadev will be dedicated to Mahadev himself. The sportspersons from across Purvanchal [eastern Uttar Pradesh] will benefit from the international stadium; it will act as a boon for the region,” Mr. Modi said.
Former Indian cricketers such as Sachin Tendulkar and Ravi Shastri, apart from Board of Control for Cricket in India president Roger Binny, vice-president Rajiv Shukla and secretary Jay Shah, were present. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accompanied Mr. Modi.
The stadium, likely to be completed by December 2025, will have floodlights resembling a trishul (trident), and the structure will resemble a damaru (small two-headed drum).
The Uttar Pradesh government spent ₹121 crore to acquire 31 acres of land for the stadium. The BCCI is likely to spend ₹330 crore on its construction. The stadium will seat 30,000 and will have seven pitches. The gallery will resemble the stairs of the Ganga Ghat.
Women’s Bill
Addressing a rally of women supporters in the city, the Prime Minister spoke about the women’s reservation Bill passed by Parliament. “We worship Mother Parvati and Ganga before Mahadev. Kashi [Varanasi] is the birthplace of a brave woman like Rani Lakshmibai. India always showed the power of women’s leadership in every time period,” Mr. Modi said at the Nari Shakti Vandan Samaroh (ceremony to celebrate women’s power) at Sampurnanand Sanskrit University.
“After the historic Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was passed in Parliament, I first visited Kashi to seek blessings from all of you, Kashi is the land that witness the virtuous deeds of Goddess Ahilyabai Holkar,” Mr. Modi said, adding the power of his mothers and sisters are his shield.
“The Bill [women’s reservation Bill] was pending since three decades, but due to your power and blessings, we were able to pass it,” he said.
Mr. Modi also inaugurated 16 Atal Residential Schools and interacted with students at a programme organised at Rudraksh Convention Centre in the city.
