New Delhi [India], October 4 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday slammed Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for the 'devastated' education system in Bihar, noting it as the reason behind people migrating to other States.

Addressing the Kaushal Deekshant Samaroh at Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital, PM Modi alleged that the schools were not opened and no recruitments took place under the Congress-RJD regime in Bihar.

He said, 'This generation may not realise how devastated the education system in Bihar was two and a half decades ago. Schools were not open, nor were recruitments conducted. Which parent doesn't want their child to study and progress here? But out of compulsion, millions of children were forced to leave Bihar and go to Varanasi, Delhi, and Mumbai. This was the real beginning of the migration.'

He lauded Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the NDA government for improving the education system in the State.

'Fortunately, the people of Bihar entrusted Nitish Kumar with the responsibility of government, and we are all witnesses to how the entire NDA team together brought the deteriorating system back on track,' he said.

As PM Modi launched youth-focused initiatives worth more than Rs 62,000 crore, including the inauguration of the Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Skill University in Bihar, he said, 'I am happy that Bihar has received a new Skill University at today's Skill Convocation. Nitish Kumar's government has named this university after Bharat Ratna Karpoori Thakur.'

The Prime Minister hailed the Bihar government for generating 10 lakh permanent government jobs and raising the education budget as compared to the RJD-Congress regime.

PM Modi said, 'In the last two decades, the Bihar Government has connected 50 lakh youth with employment in Bihar. In the last few years alone, about 10 lakh permanent government jobs have been given to the youth of Bihar.'

'The NDA government is working with full commitment to enhance the potential of Bihar's youth further. Bihar's education budget has been increased several times compared to the RJD-Congress regime. Today, there is a school in almost every village in Bihar. Be it engineering colleges or medical colleges, their number has also increased manifold,' he said.

'There was a time when Bihar did not even have an international-level infrastructure related to sports. Today, national and international sports events are being held in Bihar,' he added.

Further, PM Modi said that the youth have even planned to purchase two-wheelers on the occasion of Dhanteras amid the ongoing 'GST Bachat Utsav' after the implementation of the next-gen GST reforms.

He said, ''GST Bachat Utsav' is currently underway in the country. Someone told me that the youth of Bihar are very happy with the reduction in GST on bikes and scooters. The youth have even planned to buy them this Dhanteras. I also heartily congratulate the youth of Bihar and the country for the reduction in GST on most of the things they need.'

'Before 2014, India was considered a fragile economy, meaning growth was low. Employment was also very low. Today, India is poised to become one of the top three economies,' the Prime Minister added.

Earlier today, PM Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Skilling and Employability Transformation through Upgraded ITIs (PM-SETU), a centrally sponsored scheme with an investment of Rs 60,000 crore.

Ahead of the Assembly elections in Bihar, PM Modi launched Bihar's revamped Mukhyamantri Nishchay Svyam Sahayata Bhatta Yojana, under which nearly five lakh graduate youth every year will receive a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 for two years, along with free skill training.

He also launched the redesigned Bihar Student Credit Card Scheme, which will provide completely interest-free education loans of up to Rs 4 lakh, significantly easing the financial burden of higher education. More than 3.92 lakh students have already availed loans worth more than Rs 7,880 crore under the scheme. (ANI)