President Pranab Mukherjee today honoured 15 government school teachers of Punjab with Malti Gyan Peeth Puraskar for 2017 at a function in Rashtrapati Bhawan. The award carries cash prize of one lakh rupees and certificates. <br/><br/> Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Mukherjee said education with a focus on core civilizational values can bring real changes in the society. He urged the teachers to inculcate discipline , patriotism, tolerance , respect for women, love and humility to accept difference of opinion. He said development does not mean construction of roads, bridges and buildings, but creation of human beings who are committed to welfare of society. <br/><br/>Referring to contemporary history, the President said India had number of renowned universities like Takshshila between 3rd century BC and 12th Century AD. He said, though there are over 750 Universities and 36 thousand colleges imparting higher education in the country, there is a need of much more such institutions with good infrastructure like library and knowledge networking. <br/><br/>Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar said the teachers, who are doing well, should be rewarded while those who are lacking should be made accountable. He also said the Centre will soon bring changes in the Right to Education law to allow states to detain students at 5th and 8th standard if their performance is poor.<br/><br/> Mr. Javadekar said the government is focusing on research and innovation in higher education. Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi also spoke on the occasion.