NEW DELHI, Aug 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called upon India’s youth to assume leadership and actively participate in the ongoing Census exercise, urging them to provide accurate family information digitally to help make the process error-free.
Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day, Modi said the country needed the energy and leadership of its young people to achieve the goal of a developed India by 2047.
He appealed to youngsters to spare time for the Census exercise and ensure that correct information about their families is provided through digital means.
“Dream big, pledge big,” Modi said, urging citizens to move beyond small ambitions and develop bigger aspirations as India works towards becoming a developed nation.
The Prime Minister also backed 33 per cent reservation for women, describing it as the “call of the hour”, and appealed to political parties to work together to ensure reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies.
Calling for greater respect for women’s power, Modi said political differences should not come in the way of measures aimed at strengthening women’s participation in public life.
In a strong message on national security, the Prime Minister called for the isolation of what he termed “dimaagi Naxals”, while asserting that India was prepared to meet challenges both within its borders and from across them.
Highlighting the government’s support for farmers, Modi cited fertiliser subsidies and said urea, which costs around Rs 3,000 a sack in the global market, is being made available to Indian farmers for Rs 300. DAP, he said, costs around Rs 5,000 in the global market but is supplied to farmers at Rs 1,350.
The Prime Minister said India had moved from being counted among the “Fragile Five” economies to becoming the world’s fastest-growing major economy, stressing that the country was progressing by relying on its own strength.
This year’s Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort put the spotlight on ‘Yuva Shakti’ and its role in India’s journey towards ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.
The celebrations also marked 150 years of the enduring legacy of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’. In a first at the Red Fort after Independence, the song was rendered as part of the official celebrations.
The ceremonial programme included the flag hoisting, a 21-gun salute, the Guard of Honour and the Prime Minister’s address. Around 5,000 special guests from different walks of life were invited to witness the celebrations.
Earlier, Modi extended Independence Day greetings to citizens and paid tribute to freedom fighters, saying their courage, sacrifice and unwavering commitment had ended colonial rule.
He said their dreams continued to inspire the country as it worked towards building a ‘Viksit Bharat’, adding that India, powered by its citizens, was scaling new heights of progress across sectors.
