Neighbors, NCC, Health IDs: What PM Modi said on I-Day
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort, his seventh straight address since 2014, where he focused on making India self-reliant and steering the country towards a new direction in the wake of coronavirus pandemic. He also said the world was aware of what India can achieve. Here's a look at the speech's highlights.
To a country, battered and saddened by the pandemic, PM Modi told that a blueprint for vaccine distribution is already in place. "Three vaccines are in different stages of testing. When scientists give the go-ahead, we are ready with a plan for production," he said, assuring that the program to make the vaccine available to every Indian in less time is ready.
With the health crisis revealing how ill-equipped India's medical infrastructure is, PM Modi's announcement of a National Digital Health Mission was welcomed. He said the initiative will revolutionize the health sector and that every Indian will get a unique ID, having their vital details. This ID will have to be furnished from hospitals to pharmacies and will help to assess the complete health profile.
PM Modi also announced the expansion of NCC to 173 border and coastal districts. For this new mission, nearly 1 lakh new cadets will be recruited, one-third of whom will be women, he added.
One of the major takeaways of PM Modi's speech pertained to optical fiber. He said every village will be connected to optic cable network within 1,000 days. "Before 2014 only five dozen panchayats were connected with a fibre optic network. In the last five years, 1.5 lakh gram panchayats have been connected. In the coming 1,000 days, every village will be connected," he added.
Appreciating the valor of armed forces and slamming Pakistan and China, PM Modi said Indian troops gave a befitting response to everyone from "LAC to LoC." On the Galwan Valley clash of June, he said the entire world saw what India is capable of. "India's integrity is supreme for us. Today, I salute all those brave soldiers from the Red Fort," he stated.
PM Modi also touched upon India's biodiversity, appreciating that the population of tigers has gone up. He added that a 10-year project called "Project Gangetic Dolphin" will be launched. As per reports, Indian river systems have about 3,700 Gangetic River Dolphins and are seen in deep river systems of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
In his speech, PM Modi also mentioned the ground-breaking ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, which he attended on August 5. He said the way the country reacted to the construction was commendable. "The conduct of people is an inspiration for the future," he said. He also said that elections will be held soon in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure its overall development.
