Key themes, big announcements and full summary Firstpost

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the occasion of India's 78th Independence Day on August 15, 2024, delivered his address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort. Here's a summary of everything PM Modi said in his speech.

We take a look at all the major announcements and key takeaways from each theme addressed by Prime Minister Modi.

Important announcements by Prime Minister Modi

• 75,000 new places for medical education

• Improvements in education to ensure young Indians do not need to study abroad

• Target of 500 GW of non-renewable energy by 2030

• A net-zero emissions railway by 2030

• India prepares to host 2036 Olympics

• The goal is to bring into the political system 100,000 young people whose families have no previous political experience.

On Developed India and India as the World's Third Largest Economy

• “Viksit Bharat 2047” is a matter of great effort. We will achieve this goal

• For Viksit Bharat 2047, we sought suggestions from citizens. The many suggestions we received reflect the dreams and aspirations of our fellow citizens.

• India set to become world's third largest economy in no time

• Many economic policies have been developed and implemented to move the nation forward

• The way the world looks at India has now undergone a transformation
  Indian-origin CEOs are making a name for themselves worldwide

• Governance and judicial reforms, green cities, capacity building, clean Indian space station – these are the aspirations of citizens

• When the people of a nation have such big dreams, it takes our self-confidence to new heights and we become more resolute.

• We are in mission mode when working on 6G technology

On reforms

• Our reforms are a model for India's growth

• The emphasis is on reforms – from climate to the abolition of colonial laws

• Governance reforms will be essential to ensure a Viksit Bharat

• We need to put an end to this mentality of “chalega dekhenge” stuck in the status quo and the inability to think for the generations to come. This needs to be changed.

• In the past, it was unthinkable to reform the banking sector because the system had lost its credibility. But today, thanks to the reforms implemented, we have acquired a credible reputation throughout the world.

• The banking sector is closely linked to the country's economy

• Our commitment to reforms is not just about writing documents. We are not doing it for appreciation but to make India stronger.

On atrocities against women

• People are angry about what is happening to women across the country

• We all need to take this issue seriously, both at the national and central levels.

• We must act quickly

• Cases of crimes against women must be dealt with more quickly and the perpetrators must be brought to justice as soon as possible.

• When rape cases occur, the media discusses the case at length, but when these perpetrators are punished, there is very little discussion on the same topic.

• We need to talk about the measures taken against these criminals so that they can have a deterrent effect.

On Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh

• Prime Minister concerned over plight of Hindus in Bangladesh

• Bangladeshi Hindus must be protected

• The prime minister said he hoped attacks on minorities would stop soon and the rule of law would prevail.

• Bangladesh must ensure safety of Hindus

• We will continue to contribute to the development of Bangladesh

About the Uniform Civil Code (UCC)

• Detailed discussions and wider consultation should take place on the uniform civil code in the nation.

• This will end all forms of discrimination between the poor and the rich, between the backward and the advanced and between communities.

• There is an urgent need for a secular civil code

Internal and External Challenges for India

• There are many people in the country who cannot digest the welfare of others and are only interested in their own benefits.

• Commitment to the country will help us thwart such attempts

• Prime Minister Modi has made it clear to the world powers that India's development does not put anyone in danger; we are a peace-loving country. We have not pushed any country towards war

On action against corruption

• Our country has overcome a regime of corruption. The NDA government has opened a war front against the corrupt

• I want to instill fear in the minds of the corrupt so that they do not have the courage to deceive the common man.

• Zero tolerance towards corruption is the only way to eradicate corruption

About the Olympic Games

• Today we also have with us the youth who are behind the Indian flag flying high at the Olympics.

• On behalf of 140 million compatriots, I congratulate all our athletes and players.

• In the coming days, a huge Indian contingent will leave for Paris to participate in the Paralympic Games.

• India has proven its capability to host large-scale events by hosting the G20 summit on a grand scale. India dreams of hosting the 2036 Olympics and we are preparing for it.

On the space sector

• The space sector offers countless opportunities and we need to work on new reforms in this sector. Start-ups are emerging in the sector. This is a great opportunity for young people

• After Chandrayan, our schools and colleges have mobilized to train talents in the space sector

• We have allocated funds for research in our budget

On the education sector

• 75,000 new jobs in the medical sector in the next 5 years

• We want a developed education system so that no one has to go abroad to spend crores of rupees: PM Modi

• We want to create a system that will enable people from all over the world to come to India to pursue their studies.

• Prime Minister emphasizes promotion of mother tongue
  Competence is a very important area and we want to strengthen it further
  We want skills development to be promoted in all sectors
  We have focused on internships in our budget announcement
  After Chandrayan, our schools and colleges have mobilized to train talents in the space sector

On women-led development

• We have worked on women's development

• All sectors saw increased participation of women

• In fact, women have become driving forces

• When women become financially independent, they become part of the decision-making system within the household, which leads to social change.

• So far, 9 lakh crores have been donated to self-help groups in the country.

On the agricultural sector

• Reforms in the agricultural sector are also a demand of the moment

• We are constantly working to help our farmers

• We provide them with easy loans, encourage the use of technology, and provide end-to-end support, including marketing of their products.

• I would like to thank our farmers for adopting natural farming and doing a great service to the nation and the environment.

• The only country that has the potential to become the world's food basket with natural organic products – this potential is with us

On India as a Market

• We have convinced the world and we have also surprised the world, not just by our words but by our actions. We want to tell the world that India has been able to achieve the goals ahead of schedule. No other G20 nation has been able to do that.

• This is a golden opportunity because the world wants to invest in India

• I ask state governments to come up with a clear policy to attract these investments.

• States must ensure good governance, guarantee law and order and support investors and provide land etc. for these investments.

• The will of the central government alone will not be enough. States will also have to do their part to achieve results.

• If you implement all this with a clear policy in mind, your state will shine too.

• We need to work on the quality of our production to move from Indian standard to international standard.

• Design in India and design for the world should be our motto

• We can encourage talent to develop online games – Our youth, our IT professionals, should lead India to become the gaming capital – not as consumers, but as creators

On the government's achievements over the past 10 years

• Over the past 10 years, 10 million women have joined women's self-help groups.

• 10 million women become financially independent.

• 15 million homes benefit from 'Har Ghar Jal'

• Our motto is “Vocal for Local”

• 10 million women have joined the women's support group

• 1 crore women are now lakhpati didis

• Electricity reached 2.5 million homes

• Development has been the growth path of the North East, especially in terms of infrastructure, emphasis

• Government interference on multiple issues will be minimized for the middle class

• Reformed redundant colonial laws – new criminal laws are in place with the principle of ensuring justice not punishment

• We should take steps to ensure the comfort of life of the common man, and I invite everyone to make suggestions, including public representatives, even from political parties of all stripes.

• At one time, terrorists came to kill our people. We carried out surgical strikes and airstrikes. Now is the day when our forces will carry out surgical strikes.

• Defence has also become a priority for India. We are gradually emerging as a manufacturing hub in the sector

• The PLI program is a success

• The upcoming 150th birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda should inspire us to show sympathy towards every newcomer in the society, especially the weaker sections of the society.

On young people in politics

• We need to attract a million new talents into politics who have never had anyone in their family in politics.

• These young people will change the definition of politics in the coming times.

• They will help us overcome dynastic politics in the country