New Delhi, Sep 8 (IANS) In a rare public appreciation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday praised Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal and his deputy D. Purandeswari as “finest minds”, who are working hard for “nation building”.

“Our government attaches the highest importance to human resource development. That is why some of the finest minds in our government have been chosen as ministers for this very important and prestigious ministry,” Manmohan Singh said while launching the Rs.65 billion literacy mission ‘Saakshar Bharat’.

“Both Shri Kapil Sibal and Smt. D. Purandeswari constitute a team of which any country can be legitimately proud of as nation builders,” he added.

Manmohan Singh, who read out his speech, spoke extempore while praising both the ministers. Though the hard copy of the written speech provided to the media did not have these remarks about Sibal and his deputy, the prime minister’s office issued a soft copy of his statement adding the extempore.

The prime minister said the new mission with a five-year mandate will “significantly reduce illiteracy” in India, particularly among women. “I hope this new programme will be even more successful than its precursor, the National Literacy Mission.”

“Education empowers. Education liberates. Education ennobles. Education helps nations to march forward, helps them to progress socially and economically. In our efforts to remove persistent hunger, poverty and disease, education is a very valuable instrument. And literacy is the first step in imparting education,” he added.

-- IANS