With the national election just a few months ahead, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing Rajya Sabha members, highlighted his administration’s achievements as well as provided a view into his plans to make India a developed nation, or Viksit Bharat.
Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address during the interim budget session in Parliament, Modi on Wednesday said the government’s policies were directed at ensuring basic facilities for all and raising the standard of living.
“In the coming days, our focus will go beyond ‘ease of living’ to improving quality of life,” the prime minister said, stressing that the government will focus on providing opportunities to the neo-middle class emerging out of poverty. “We will provide more strength to the ‘Modi Kavach’ of Social Justice,” he said.
Highlighting the government’s support for this demographic, Modi said the government’s free ration scheme, Ayushman scheme, 80% discounts on medicines, the PM Samman Nidhi scheme for farmers, houses for the poor, tapped water connections, and construction of new toilets will continue at a fast pace.
“Modi 3.0 will leave no stone unturned to strengthen the foundations of ‘Viksit Bharat’,” Modi said, referring to a possible third term for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance. The general election is expected to be held in April-May.
The Modi administration is targeting to turn India into a developed nation, or ‘Viksit Bharat’, by 2047.
On government policies aimed at the welfare of the poor, Modi also highlighted cleanliness campaigns to improve health, the Ujjwala gas scheme, free rations, and Ayushman Yojna. He also said that over the past 10 years, scholarships for students from scheduled castes and scheduled tribes were increased, helping enrollment in school and reducing dropout rates.
“‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’ is not just a slogan, it is Modi’s guarantee,” Modi said.
The prime minister also said public sector undertakings were functioning much better than earlier, highlighting the achievements of state-run telecom company BSNL, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, and Life Insurance Corporation of India.
The number of PSUs in the country have increased from 234 in 2014 to 254, and most of them are offering record returns to investors, he said.
Modi said India’s PSU Index had witnessed a two-fold rise in the previous year. Over the last 10 years, PSUs’ net profit increased from ₹1.25 lakh crore in FY2004 to ₹2.50 lakh crore in FY14, adding that their net value had increased from ₹9.5 lakh crore to ₹17 lakh crore.
The prime minister also reiterated his mantra of ‘states’ development for country’s development’, assuring that the Union government would support the development of all states. Emphasising the importance of healthy competition for development among the states, the prime minister called for a competitive cooperative federalism.
Modi also said that strides in India’s medical infrastructure will continue over the next 5 years and that medical treatment would become more affordable.
Every house will have piped water, electricity bills will become zero for millions of houses due to solar power, piped cooking gas will be provided across the country, the number of startups will increase, and patent filing will break new records, the prime minister added.
He also said ‘Made in India’ semiconductors and electronics would dominate the world, and the country would work towards reducing energy dependence on other nations. He also mentioned the government’s push towards green hydrogen and ethanol-blended fuel.
The prime minister also highlighted the progress achieved in the fields of Digital India and fintech, and said the next 5 years would present a positive future for India’s digital economy.
“Digital services will further India’s progress,” Modi said, adding, “I have full faith that our scientists will take us to new heights in the field of space technologyna.”
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