Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the 21st century is an Indian century and asked everybody to work for a 'Viksit Bharat' as the nation moves towards realizing this vision by 2047.
Delivering a lecture at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, PM Modi underlined that it shall remain the government's concern to have public welfare at the very top of its priority list and also induce transformative changes.
Speaking to the audience, PM Modi said, "When the British left India, people thought that the country was going to break down. In the Emergency days, it was thought that suppression of democracy had become a permanent feature. And the people of India stood up and defended democracy even then.
Reflecting on the Covid-19 pandemic, he said that once the pandemic hit, the world was of the opinion that India would prove to be laggard. But the resilience of Indian citizens proved them wrong and the nation also extended a helping hand to other economies with vaccine supply.
There was a time when terrorism made Indians feel unsafe. Today, terrorists are the ones who feel insecure, even in their own homes," he stressed, citing the significant changes in the security environment in stressing India's fight against terrorism.
He credited this transformation to decisive actions by the government and an unwavering focus on national security.
Avoiding vote-bank politics, his government focused more on inclusivity and sustainable development, he said.
"This is a government for all Indians. We are going by the mantra of 'progress of the people, progress by the people, progress for the people'. Our aim is to make a new India. Make India a Viksit Bharat," he stated.
He further added, "In the last decade, India has witnessed a change that has given a new lease of life to a risk-taking culture in the citizenry. Aspirations have emerged as the bedrock of our policies."
During the economic growth of India, he mentioned its special model that his government has followed:.
To understand the growth trajectory that India is on today, it would be important to look at another approach of our government, said he. The approach is – 'Spend Big For The People, Save Big For The People', he added.
He elaborated further on how investments have been directed toward generation of employment while development projects have been designed to restore dignity to citizens.
"Our government has given citizens a unique combine of employment from investment and dignity from development," he observed.
"Today, India is full of aspirations, and these aspirations have become the foundation of our policies. The changes over the last 10 years reflect the growth of a proud, ambitious, and forward-looking nation," he quipped.
He reminded that India should be a developed India and how every citizen has a responsibility to make the country so.
"This is India's century, and we will achieve our dream of a Viksit Bharat," he affirmed.
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