Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from Red Fort on Saturday as India marked the 80th Independence Day. However, the prime minister spoke for only 75 minutes, his shortest address in four years.
The prime minister also announced that one crore youth will be trained in AI skills in the next one year. semiconductors, Naxalism, MSMEs, concert economy, higher studies and coaching classes, the overall length of the speech was shortest since 2023, when the prime minister spoke for 90 minutes While the address itself touched upon many subjects – including Artificial Intelligence. Follow live updates on Independence Day 2026 here .
“Coaching classes burden the poor and the middle class. We will provide free online coaching for various exams. His youth outreach comes weeks after a big student-led protest against the NEET-UG paper leak. It was after this demonstration led by Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and the students’ repeated demands of exam reforms and accountability that Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as education minister.
Including today, PM Modi has delivered 13 Independence Day speeches from Red Fort since the NDA-led government came to power in 2014. Earlier reporting noted: PM Modi’s Independence Day speech shortest in 4 years Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a 75-minute Independence Day speech on Saturday (August 15, 2026), the shortest in four years and his fourth shortest ever. Earlier reporting noted: The Prime Minister’s Independence Day speech lasted 88 minutes in 2021 and in 2022 , he spoke for 74 minutes.
Every parent feels that if they do not send their child to a coaching class, they are not a prestigious family,” PM Modi said. Earlier reporting noted: Fragile 5 no more, eyes on 100 GW nuclear energy target: Key numbers by PM Modi from Red Fort Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day, said on Saturday that the world had placed India among the “fragile five” economies and that people’s efforts had helped the country move from the “fragile five” to a major economy over the past 12 years.
