Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday unveiled seven streams of strength that he said will power the country’s journey to Viksit Bharat (developed India) by 2047, announcing mega plans for student coaching classes, civil defence volunteers and urging political parties to back quotas for women in Parliament and state assemblies.
The second stream was agriculture and food processing. We must go from the farm to the export market. Unlike previous years, when rain or drizzle has almost been a fixture of the ceremony, the rain ponchos provided by the defence ministry went unused. In a bid to ending VIP culture and underscoring water conservation, seating enclosures were named after major lakes across the country. Many joined in, singing along with lyrics provided by the ministry. The speech comes against the backdrop of sprawling student protests that forced the resignation of then Union education minister Dhamendra Pradhan. Modi made a big outreach to young people, announcing free online coaching for various examinations to help students and their families save money as these additional classes put financial burden on poor and middle class families.
Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort to mark the 80th Independence Day, Modi also underlined initiatives to propel innovation among young people and train them in AI, hailed the government’s self-reliance strategy amid global energy disruptions, and announced a nationwide talent hunt to identify sportspeople ahead of 2036. In the coming 5-7 years, what could not be done in the last 5-7 decades, with the strength and power of saptadhara, we will give the country new heights, new momentum and the ability to achieve new goals,” Modi said in Hindi, becoming the second PM, after Jawaharlal Nehru, to deliver 13 consecutive Independence Day speeches. Crowds began arriving at the Red Fort from 6am, nearly 90 minutes before the PM’s address. The crowds were equally ecstatic when Mi-17 helicopters of the IAF flew overhead and showered petals on them. He also announced 10 million young people will be trained in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the next one year.
“Due to FTAs, we are gaining access to a very large market; we must reach it.
Our traditional cuisine, millets, spices, and fruits and flowers should become global brands,” he said. The crowd broke into applause when “Vande Mataram” was announced. “Today, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I invoke seven streams or saptadhara of power before the country.
The third stream was technology and innovation. We need to become a hub of innovation. We have proven our mettle in UPI and digital public infrastructure. “Our cities must be connected through high speed rail. We must also focus on port-led development.”
India has to lead in next generation communication technology,” he said. On the fourth stream, Gati Shakti, the PM said India must focus on seamless and high-speed connectivity. “Today is the era of AI, quantum, space, robotics, and data centers.
