Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Aug 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reaffirmed his government’s commitment to women’s reservation and urged the Opposition to come forward and support efforts to ensure reservation for women in state Assemblies and Parliament.
Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day, Modi said the country must work collectively to facilitate and implement greater political representation for women.
Highlighting the importance of India’s youth, or ‘Yuva Shakti’, the Prime Minister said young people would play a crucial role in realising the vision of a developed India, or ‘Viksit Bharat’, by 2047.
Modi announced a new government network of free online coaching for young people preparing for various competitive examinations. He also announced a Rs 1 lakh crore fund to support the youth in pursuing initiatives and endeavours aimed at contributing to the nation’s development.
Calling upon citizens to place the country before themselves, Modi said national interest and a sense of duty should become the identity of every Indian.
The Prime Minister also outlined a seven-point development roadmap, which he termed the ‘Saptadharas’. He said these seven pillars would drive India forward and take the country to new heights in the coming years.
The roadmap focuses on manufacturing strength, agriculture, technology, Gati Shakti, defence capabilities, the green economy and India’s soft power. Modi explained the importance of each sector in strengthening the country’s economic and strategic position.
Taking aim at Naxalism, Modi said the menace had largely been eliminated, although he warned that “dimgai-naxals” or ideological Naxals continued to exist in society.
“These dimgai-naxals need to be identified and isolated,” he said.
He said areas once affected by Naxal violence were now witnessing peace, development and renewed hope. According to Modi, Naxalism had damaged the future of young people before 2014, while development was now reaching areas that had once been dominated by Naxal groups.
The Prime Minister said India needed to focus on three key factors — cost, quality and scale — to strengthen its position globally.
He also highlighted India’s stable political mandate, stable government, vibrant democracy, strong judicial system and Constitution as the foundations supporting the country’s development journey.
Modi said Indians were increasingly embracing the spirit of ‘Make in India’ and ‘Vocal for Local’, adding that sectors which were once considered “No Go” areas were now becoming “Go Ahead” areas.
“We must believe in ourselves and take pride in building an Atmanirbhar Bharat as India has set a big goal to become a developed nation by 2047,” he said.
On sports, Modi said India was a strong contender to host the 2036 Olympic Games. To build a strong Indian contingent for the mega sporting event, he announced a nationwide talent hunt to identify promising athletes between the ages of five and 15.
“India is making space for itself in the world of sports. We hear our national anthem frequently and see our tri-colour going up very often,” he said, highlighting the success of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and initiatives such as the Khelo India Games, University Games, Beach Games and Winter Games.
He also pointed to progress in sports training, sports medicine and sports nutrition, saying India was advancing rapidly in the sector.
Modi said India had added around 650 new universities during the past decade and had more than doubled the number of medical seats since 2014, highlighting the expansion of higher education and medical education infrastructure.
Urging young people to come forward and take leadership roles, the Prime Minister said India needed their energy, ideas and participation in its development journey.
He also appealed to citizens, particularly the youth, to participate actively in the ongoing Census exercise and provide accurate information about their families through digital means to help make the Census more reliable and error-free.
Modi further announced that one crore young people would receive training in artificial intelligence skills over the next year, underlining the government's focus on preparing India’s youth for emerging technologies and future employment opportunities.