'Gen Z, Gen Alpha Have Information But Lack Knowledge; Teachers Must Bridge That Gap', Says Devendra Fadnavis At Nagpur Education Conference | VIDEO

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday attended the Ninth International Principals' Educational Conference 2026 in Nagpur, where he emphasised the role of teachers and principals in transforming the vast amount of information available to today's students into meaningful knowledge.

The three-day conference, held from October 22 to 24 at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), MIHAN, Nagpur, brought together principals from educational institutions across India.

This year's theme was "Understanding WOW (World of Wonderful) Generations – Bridging Insights and Innovations."

Gen Z, Gen Alpha And Knowledge

Addressing the gathering, Fadnavis spoke about the challenges and opportunities associated with educating Generation Z and Generation Alpha, who have grown up amid rapid technological advancements and widespread access to information.

“Gen Z and Gen Alpha were born during the information explosion, the technology explosion. Therefore, they have a lot of information. However, they do not have the knowledge based on that information,” he said.

He emphasised that teachers and principals have a responsibility to help students convert the information they possess into knowledge and develop the ability to process it wisely.

Emphasis On Mother-Tongue Education

Speaking about the education systems of different countries, Fadnavis asserted that developed countries generally provide education in their mother tongues, while developing countries often follow the languages of their former colonial rulers.

He said this was among the reasons why the National Education Policy emphasises education in the mother tongue.

He also highlighted the importance of communicating with children in their mother tongue, stating that it plays a significant role in their mental development.

Responsible Use Of Mobile Phones

Fadnavis also addressed concerns over increasing mobile phone and social media usage among students.

“Today everyone says that today's students are addicted to mobile phones. But we are all equally busy with mobile phones. Our attention span is only a few seconds. Therefore, there is no need to completely reject mobile phones and social media, but there is a need to pay attention to how to use them,” he said.

He stressed that the focus should be on using digital platforms responsibly rather than rejecting technology altogether.

AI Cannot Replace Human Values

Highlighting the growing importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Fadnavis said technology should be used to enhance human knowledge.

However, he cautioned that AI cannot replace the human values central to education. “AI does not have human sensitivity. It does not have ethics, and these are all the values of our educational system, which AI does not have,” he said.

To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/