New Delhi, July 16 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that under the rule of NDA government, the country was moving forward to attain new heights in the 21st century.
Addressing the New India conclave, being organised by Y4D Foundation here, Mr Modi said, 'At this time, our country is going through a crucial period of change. In the last four years, you must have also realised how the country is moving forward to attain new heights in the 21st century.
'Gone are the days when India was considered to be among the 'Fragile Five'. Today, we are the fastest growing economy in the world. Powered by the 125 crore people of India, we will grow even faster.'
Describing 'Young India' as the basis of the New India, the PM said, 'New India concerns 125 crore Indians, but its basis is Young India. It is the power of the youth, which is free from the burden of the old working styles and mindset.
'It is this young section, which has inspired a change in the system. It is this group of youth that forms the identity of emerging India,' he added.
The PM said that just like the aspirations and power of the youth, India is doing big, transformative things.
'More than three crore children have been vaccinated, thus boosting the health of India's future generations. This is a big number. Who's at the lead of this? Young doctors, nurses, support staff and volunteers. India built 1.75 lakh kilometres of rural roads in the last four years. Who built them? Young labourers and workers. More than one crore homes have been built for the poor in the last four years. Who did it? It was young engineers, masons and labourers, who made this possible,' the PM said.
In an apparent jibe at the Congress and the 'Gandhi family', the PM said, 'There was a time when only the families of the princes rules the country. After Independence, a new kind of family was born. Even in the post-independence politics, people of a single family continued to rule for three to four generations. The government was under the control of some families.
'But today, the situation has changed. The President, Vice President, I myself - who hail from the rural environment- have been elected democratically and have reached these places. And this shows that the country's mind has changed,' he added.
The PM said people like Yogi Adityanath, Biplab Dev, Trivendra Singh Rawat, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Nitish Kumar, Manohar Lal Khattar and Raghubar Das hailed from very common families and yet, have reached these positions.
'They have lived a very normal life, so even today, they are sensitive to every poor and his problems. They have spent their lives working among young people and towards their expectations. They understand what the young man of New India wants.
'It is a very positive sign for the democracy of our country that now, this kind of atmosphere is visible not only in politics, but in every field. The number of young people coming to the IAS-IPS and administrative services from the rural areas and small towns is increasing continuously,' the PM said.
'Young India feels - 'Anything is possible! Everything is achievable.' This spirit will drive India's growth. India needs great road infrastructure – Bharatmala is building thousands of kilometres of roads for it. India needs port-led development – Sagarmala is helping build infrastructure for it. India needs to go digital in public service delivery– JAM trinity got us there.
'India needs a clean economy – increased digital payments and innovations like BHIM App are taking us there. India needs a unified and simplified tax structure– GST was for that. India needs to unlock the power of air travel – UDAN is to get even the poor to fly. India needs more skilled manpower – Skill India is for that.
'India needs villages connected with i-ways – we have laid 2.7 lakh km of optical fiber network connecting more than a lakh Gram Panchayats. We are future-proofing India in every way, enabling New India to take off,' he added.
He said, 'When development is our only aim, we remain sensitive to people's concerns and aspirations. When we are receptive to people, it reflects in policies becoming simpler. When we remove red-tape and make policies easier, we bring more FDI.
'When we bring more FDI, we create more industries in India. When we create more industries, we create more employment opportunities. When we create more employment opportunities, we empower the youth to improve their future. When the future of every citizen improves, the future of India and stature of India in the world improves.
'New India is that land... Where you make your name your name does not make you. Where your ideas matter not your influence. Where opportunities await instead of obstacles. Where a billion aspirations find free flowing expression.
'New India is the place... Where processes drive progress instead of people influencing processes. Where the Government belongs to everyone instead of everything belonging to the Government. Where the power of hope prevails over mindless hate. Where 125 crore Indians write their own destiny. This is our New India,' the Prime Minister added.
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