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US First Lady Jill Biden joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their visit to the National Science Foundation in Virginia, highlighting his commitment to education and underscoring his role in strengthening bilateral relations between India and the US.
Modi visited the US federal agency that supports science and engineering, shortly after arriving in Washington on the second leg of his first state visit to the country.
Read moreHighlights: Narendra Modi’s visit to the US: Prime Minister in Washington. State dinner with Biden, address to the joint session of the US Congress on the agenda
The First Lady and Prime Minister Modi also met with students from India and the United States who are learning the skills needed to succeed in industries vital to their economies.
Through this official visit, we are bringing together the oldest and largest democracies in the world. But our relationship is not just about governments, we celebrate families and friendship between two countries. The partnership between the United States and India is deep and broad as we jointly address global challenges. “Education is an issue close to Prime Minister Modi’s and mine’s heart,” said the first lady of the United States.
“You are working to ensure that all Indians, especially girls, have the opportunity to pursue education and gain the skills they need for a modern workforce. It is exciting to be able to showcase some of the innovative programs that our schools and companies are creating for students here
“If we want our economies to be strong, we need to invest in the young people who are our future. We need to ensure they get the opportunities they deserve. Through Joe’s Investing in America agenda, we are creating millions of good jobs in growing industries like clean energy and manufacturing.”
Addressing the students attending the event, the Prime Minister said that India is working on multiple projects with the US National Science Foundation. He said India’s goal was to make this a technology contract, which he called a “Techade”.
Read more: PM Modi in the US: India aims to make this decade a tech decade – ‘Techade’
“We have set up around 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in schools where children are provided with all kinds of facilities for different kinds of innovations. To encourage young entrepreneurs, we have started the ‘Start-Up India’ mission. Our aim is to make this a tech-tech decade.”
“I am so happy that I met these young and creative people right after visiting Washington, D.C. With NSF, India is working on a lot of projects. I would like to thank First Lady Jill Biden for planning and organizing this event.”
In his speech, Prime Minister Modi brought up the new education policy, integrated education and skills underway in India. “Under Skill India, we have trained more than 15 billion people in AI, blockchain, drones and more,” he added.
Moody arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Washington, D.C. where he was given a guard of honor in a continuous rain.
On the Washington leg of the visit, the prime minister will hold bilateral talks with President Joe Biden and address a joint session of the US Congress.
Read more: PM Modi in the US: Indian diaspora rains bravely to welcome PM to Washington | He watches
Modi arrived here from New York where he led a historic event at the United Nations Headquarters earlier in the day to mark the 9th International Day of Yoga, which was attended by UN officials, diplomats and dignitaries.
The prime minister, who is visiting the United States at the invitation of President Biden, will join them at a state banquet with a number of dignitaries on Thursday. Indian expatriates braved the rain to welcome Modi to Washington’s Freedom Square.
In his departure statement, Modi said his discussions with President Biden and other top US leaders will provide an opportunity to enhance bilateral cooperation as well as in multilateral forums such as the G20, Quad and IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity).
Noting that the US Congress has always given strong bipartisan support to India-US relations, Modi said that during his visit, he will address a joint session of the US Congress at the invitation of the Congress leadership.
The prime minister said that the United States is India’s largest trading partner in goods and services, and the two countries cooperate closely in the areas of science and technology, education, health, defense and security.
(With input from Sanjay Jha)
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