Independence Day: PM Modi says 'Viksit Bharat 2047' reflection of dreams of 140 cr people

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unfurled the national flag at the historic Red Fort, marking the 78th Independence Day of the country.

Clad in a light blue bandhgala jacket and multicoloured Rajasthani leheriya print turban, the Prime Minister addressed the nation, stating Independence Day was the day to pay tribute to freedom fighters. "The country is indebted to them," he said.

Before reaching Red Fort, he paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial.

Interestingly, this is Modi's 11th time in a row to unfurl the tricolour from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day. He also surpassed Manmohan Singh who unfurled the national flag 10 times during his stint as the Prime Minister during 2001-2014. Only the first Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi had the honour of doing this more than Modi. While Nehru did it 17 times, Indira did it 16 times.

What PM said in his I-day speech

The PM paid condolences to the families who lost their members in the recent national disasters. "Natural disasters have heightened our concern over the last few years; I express my sympathies to affected families," Modi added.

Modi also stressed the government's resolve to make the country a developed nation by 2047. Stating that India was capable of making India a developed nation by 2047 with our resolve, he said: "If 40 crore people can break shackles of slavery to gain freedom, just imagine what can be achieved by the resolve of 140 crore people."

He said the government had invited suggestions from countrymen for Viksit Bharat 2047 and the feedback reflects the dreams and aspirations of our citizens. "Some people suggested making India the skill capital, others said India should be made a manufacturing hub and the country must become self-reliant. Reforms in governance and justice system, creation of greenfield cities, capacity building, India’s own space station - these are the aspirations of the citizens," he said, adding that the big dreams of the citizens "take our self-confidence to newer heights and we become more resolute."

Hailing women power, the Prime Minister said over 10 crore women joined self-help groups over the last decade, becoming financially independent. "When women become financially independent they become part of the decision-making system in a household leading to social change. Till now, 9 lakh crores have been given to self-help groups in the country," he said.

On banking, space sectors

The Prime Minister also hailed India's banking, stating they now count among the strongest in the world. "Just imagine what was the condition of our banking sector. There was no growth, no expansion, and there was no faith (in the banking system). We took big reforms to make the banking sector strong, because of which our banks were among the few strong banks globally," Modi said.

On the renewable energy sector, the Prime Minister hailed India's efforts and praised the efforts the country was putting in to achieve self-reliance. "We had vowed for renewable energy. India has done more than the (other) countries of G20," he said.

He also hailed India's "vibrant" space sector and claimed the government has made many reforms which liberated it from the restrictions of the past. "Hundreds of start-ups have come up in the space sector. It is becoming vibrant. It is playing a key role in making India a strong nation," he added.

Education

We want to build such an education system in the country that students don't have to go abroad for studies, said the Prime Minister. "Students spend lakhs and crores for medical education abroad. We will create 75,000 new medical seats in the next 5 years," he said.