There will be no rest, no time to catch one’s breath,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, elaborating on the relentless effort to realize aspirations and fulfill commitments his government undertook.
He discussed this in his recent address, listing some mega milestones of the last ten years, like 12 crore toilets built and gas connections given to 16 crore homes. “Despite these many achievements, my answer is clear: this is insufficient. With India being one of the youngest countries globally, the potential of our youth can propel the nation to new heights,” he said.
Modi gave an inkling of the different tactics that the government was taking, which was a “look forward” approach. “Traditionally, Governments have measured their performance against that of their predecessors. We did so, too. It is time to stop doing so now. Our success will be measured by what we do with the opportunities available in the future. He said the lead given to this thought will be provided by the developed India of 2047, something that has become the hallmark of this mindset.
Modi started his speech by mentioning troubled times worldwide over the last few years, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, unemployment, and Ukraine and West Asia conflicts. In such a scenario, Modi made India sound like a ray of hope. “In India, debates are on about the ‘India Century.’ The air is filled with positivity amidst challenges,” he said.
The Prime Minister also spoke about what India brings to the table regarding digital innovation. He talked about how India had demonstrated that digital growth and democratic values were not opposing principles. “While having no first-mover advantage during the Internet boom, India has created a new model. By democratizing technology, India has shown the way in building digital public infrastructure,” he added.
He termed Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, mobile connectivity, and other such initiatives as examples of seamless service delivery systems. “Look at UPI, which has revolutionized fintech in India. Its growth of over 500 million digital transactions daily is driven not by big corporations but by small shopkeepers and street vendors,” Modi concluded.
