New Delhi [India], August 15 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the nation on the occasion of 75th Independence Day and said it is the day to remember India’s great freedom fighters.
Addressing the nation from Red Fort, the Prime Minister said on this day, the country is remembering every person who contributed to the freedom struggle, as the country is indebted to all of them.
“I would like to begin by conveying greetings on this special occasion of Independence Day. This is a day to remember our great freedom fighters… Amrit Mahotsav of Independence, Happy 75th Independence Day to all of you and to all those who love India, love democracy all over the world,” said the Prime Minister.
“Be it Nehru ji, the first Prime Minister of India, Sardar Patel, who turned the country into a united nation or Babasaheb Ambedkar, who showed India the way to the future, the country is remembering every such personality, the country is indebted to all of them,” He added.
Talking about the government’s decision to celebrate Partition Horrors Remembrance Day on August 14, the Prime Minister said, “We celebrate independence, but the pain of partition still pierces the chest of India. It is one of the greatest tragedies of the last century and to remember the people who lost their lives during the partition, to honour the pain and sufferings faced by the people of India during the partition, we have decided to celebrate Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.”
On the occasion of 75th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hoisted the national flag and delivered the customary address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi.

Need to increase collective power of small farmers, make them nation’s pride: PM Modi

New Delhi [India], August 15 (ANI): As India celebrates the 75th Independence Day on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it is high time when the country needs to apply scientific research and suggestions to the agriculture sector to provide food security to the nation and to increase food production.
The Prime Minister also said that the country must increase the collective power of small farmers and make them the nation’s pride.
Addressing the nation from the Red Fort in the national capital, the Prime Minister said: “It is time we apply scientific research and suggestions in our agriculture sector. We need to reap all its benefits. It will not just provide food security to the nation, but will also increase food produce.”
“Over 80 per cent of the farmers in the country owns less than 2 hectare land. Now the decisions are being taken keeping these small farmers in mind. The Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana takes care of the small expenses of the small farmers. More than Rs 1.5 lakh crores have been deposited directly to the bank accounts of over10 crore farmer families so far,” PM Modi said.
“In the coming years, we will have to increase the collective power of the small farmers of the country. We have to give them new facilities. They must become the country’s pride,” he further said.
“There comes a time in the development journey of every country, when that country redefines itself, moves forward with new resolutions. Today that time has come in India’s development journey…Starting from here, the journey of the next 25 years is the ‘Amrit’ of the creation of a new India. The fulfillment of our resolves in this ‘Amrit Kaal’ will take us till 100 years of independence,” the Prime Minister added.

Sainik Schools across country to admit girls also, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced that Sainik Schools across the country will be open for admission to girl students.
“The government has decided that doors of every Sainik School will now be open for girl children,” said the Prime Minister while addressing the nation on 75th Independence Day from Red Fort in New Delhi.
He further informed that he had been receiving requests from girls across the country expressing their aspiration to study in Sainik Schools.

“I used to get messages from lakhs of daughters that they too want to study in Sainik Schools, the doors of Sainik Schools should be opened for them too. About 2-2.5 years ago, the experiment of admitting girls was done for the first time in Sainik School in Mizoram,” he said.
Meanwhile, talking about the National Education Policy, he said that it will become a major force in the fight against poverty.
“Today the country has a new ‘National Education Policy‘ to meet the needs of the 21st century. The National Education Policy 2020 will become a major force in the fight against poverty,” said the Prime Minister.
He further noted that when daughters and sons of poor families will become professionals after studying in their mother tongue, then justice will be done to their ability.
Laying emphasis on the “special feature” of policy, Narendra Modi said, “There is another special feature of the new National Education Policy. In this, sports have been made a part of mainstream education instead of extracurricular. Sports are also one of the most effective means of moving forward in life.”

PM announces establishment of e-commerce platforms for products made by self help groups

The government will establish e-commerce platforms to provide a market for the products made by self help groups (SHGs), said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday.
Delivering his customary address to the nation on the occasion of 75th Independence Day on Sunday, the Prime Minister said, “There are more than 8 crore women in the village who are associated with self-help groups, who make products. The government will prepare an e-commerce platform for their products to get a big market in the country and abroad.”
He further said that the country is moving forward with the slogan of ‘Vocal for Local‘.
“India has started the ‘Local for Vocal’ initiative and it is our responsibility to buy indigenous products. Our vision of plastic-free India can only be made true if we stop the use of single-use plastic completely,” noted the Prime Minister.
Talking about development in rural areas, he said, “Today we see our villages changing rapidly. In past few years, facilities like road, electricity have reached villages. Today the optical fiber network is providing the power of data to villages.”

India responding to terrorism, expansionism with great courage

In a veiled message to China and Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India’s surgical strikes and airstrikes have conveyed that the country is fighting and effectively responding to challenges of both terrorism and expansionism.
Addressing the nation from Red Fort on Independence Day, the Prime Minister said that today’s India was resolving the issues which were waiting to be resolved for decades and centuries.
“By conducting surgical strikes and airstrikes, we have given a message of the emergence of a new India to our enemies. It also conveys that India can take tough decisions…Today the world is looking at India from a new perspective and this vision has two important aspects–terrorism and expansionism. India is fighting both these challenges and is also responding with great courage in a tactful manner,” said PM Modi.
The Prime Minister noted that today’s India of the 21st century has the ability to make big goals and achieve them.
“Today India is also resolving those issues, which were waiting to be resolved for decades, centuries. Be it the historic decision to abrogate Article 370, or the GST system that frees the country from the tax trap, or one rank one pension for our military comrades. Or a peaceful solution to the Ramjanmabhoomi case, we have seen all this come true in the last few years,” he said.
Further listing other important decisions, PM Modi said India is continuously proving its resolve by decisions like, “Bru-Reang Agreement should be done in Tripura after decades. OBC commission should be given Constitutional status and the BDC and DDC elections were held for the first time after independence in Jammu and Kashmir.”
To motivate the countrymen especially youth, PM Modi recited a poem and said today is the right time to start a new chapter in India’s development journey by tapping into the unused potential.

Fortified rice will be provided to poor under various govt schemes by 2024, says PM Modi

In a bid to end malnutrition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that by 2024, rice provided by various schemes of the government will be fortified.
Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of 75th Independence Day, Prime Minister said, “The government will fortify the rice which it gives to the poor under its different schemes and will provide nutritious rice to the poor. Whether it is the rice available at the ration shop or the rice available in the mid-day meal, by the year 2024, the rice available through every scheme will be fortified.”
Highlighting the benefits of the government schemes, Narendra Modi said that over 4.5 crore families have received tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
“Within two years of Jal Jeevan mission, more than 4.5 crore families have started receiving water from the tap,” he said.
“We have to move forward with a target of achieving saturation in our schemes,” he added.
Prime Minster further noted that facilities like roads and electricity have reached villages and there is a “rapid”change being witnessed in rural areas.
“Today we see our villages changing rapidly. In past few years, facilities like road and electricity have reached villages. Today, optical fiber network is providing the power of data to villages, internet is reaching there. Digital entrepreneurs are getting ready in villages too,” he said.

PM Modi announces National Hydrogen Mission for self-reliance in energy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced the National Hydrogen Mission with an aim to make India a hub for the production and export of green hydrogen.
Addressing the nation on 75th Independence Day, the Prime Minister took a pledge to make India energy independent before completing 100 years of independence.
He admitted that India is not energy independent and spends over Rs 12 lakh crores every year for energy requirements.
“For the progress of India, it is necessary for India to be energy independent to make an Aatmannirbhar Bharat. That is why today India will have to make a resolution that we will make India energy independent before 100 years of independence,” said PM Modi.
“Whatever work India is doing today, the biggest goal, which is going to give India a quantum jump, is the field of Green Hydrogen. I am announcing the National Hydrogen Mission today in the light of the tricolor,” he added.
He also noted that India’s vehicle scrap policy is going to play an important role in this achieving environmental security.
“Among G-20 economies, India is one of the few who are speeding towards their climate protection goals. Our vision of a plastic-free India can only be made true if we stop the use of single-use plastic completely,” he added. (ANI)