Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day, unveiled a seven pillar roadmap for a developed India by 2047, marking the occasion as historic for coinciding with 150 years of Vande Mataram being sung from the fort for the first time.
The Prime Minister expressed solidarity with families affected by recent flooding and landslides in several parts of the country, assuring them of the nation’s support. He said India’s ambition to become a developed nation by its centenary of independence would rest on big dreams, firm resolve and the collective effort of 140 crore citizens, pointing to twelve years of growth in defence production, electronics manufacturing, digital transactions and rural infrastructure as evidence the country had moved past being labelled among the world’s “Fragile Five” economies.
Central to the address was the announcement of “Sapt Dhara,” seven streams of national strength: manufacturing, agriculture and food processing, technology and innovation, Gati Shakti connectivity, defence power, the green and blue economy, and soft power. Modi called for zero defect manufacturing, greater access to global markets for farmers, homegrown leadership in six G communication technology, high speed rail and port led development, self reliance in defence production, expansion of renewable energy, and a stronger global push for Indian cinema, cuisine, yoga and tourism.
The Prime Minister challenged Indian industry to place fifty Fortune 500 companies, a top five global bank and leading pharmaceutical, consulting and technology firms from India among the world’s best within a decade. He announced a one year mission to train a crore young people in artificial intelligence skills, free online coaching for competitive examinations to ease the burden on middle class families, and a nationwide talent hunt among children aged five to fifteen aimed at building India’s contingent for a prospective 2036 Olympics.
Modi also announced the creation of a modern civil defence volunteer network to prepare citizens for evolving security threats, citing “Mission Sudarshan Chakra” and a near fifty fold rise in defence exports. He spoke of progress on Naxal affected regions, cautioning that while armed insurgency had been largely eliminated, ideological sympathisers remained a challenge. The Prime Minister urged political parties to implement women’s reservation in legislatures, highlighted the near completion of the SVAMITVA rural property scheme, and appealed to citizens, especially the youth, to participate accurately in the ongoing digital census exercise before closing with calls of Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Vande Mataram.
