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#IndependenceDayIndia: 'Huge' scope to improve India's tourism sector
While addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Modi said reforms will continue to be ushered in to help India break into top 50 countries on the 'ease of doing business' ranking.
"There is a huge scope to improve our tourism sector," he said.
Highlights from his #IndependenceDay speech
Addressing the Nation on August 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi touches on various issues in his speech:
Standing up for the India Inc, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said wealth creators should not be eyed with suspicion and that they are country's wealth and should be respected.
"Let us never see wealth creators with suspicion. Only when wealth is created, wealth will be distributed," he said. "Wealth creation is absolutely essential. Those who create wealth are India's wealth and we respect them."
This is the third time in one year that Modi has stood up for corporate India.
Modi urges people to visit 15 domestic tourist destinations by 2022
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to visit at least 15 tourist destinations within India by 2022, saying there is a "huge" scope to improve India's tourism sector.
He said India has much to offer and if domestic tourism increases, international footfalls too will increase.
"I know people travel abroad for holidays but can we think of visiting at least 15 tourist destinations across India before 2022, when we mark 75 years of freedom," the PM said.
"Let us make local products attractive. May more export hubs emerge. Our guiding principle is Zero Defect, Zero Effect," he said.
PM announces creation of Chief of Defence Staff
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also announced creation of a chief of defence staff (CDS) as head of the tri- services.
Modi said the CDS will ensure synergy among the three services and provide effective leadership to them.
"Our government has decided to have a Chief of Defence Staff- CDS," Modi said.
A high-level committee set up to examine the gaps in the country's security system in the wake of the Kargil War in 1999 had called for appointment of a Chief of Defence Staff as a single-point military adviser to the Defence Minister.
A group of ministers analysing required reforms in the national security system had also favoured appointing a chief of defence staff.
In 2012, the Naresh Chandra Task Force had recommended creating the post of a permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.
The CoSC comprises chiefs of the Army, Navy and the Air Force and the senior-most among them acts as its chairman as per existing norm.
Will invest Rs 100 lakh cr in infra, USD 5 trn economy target achievable
While addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Modi said reforms will continue to be ushered in to help India break into top 50 countries on the 'ease of doing business' ranking.
"The target is to break into top 50 nations," he said.
He also said his government will invest a massive Rs 100 lakh crore on developing modern infrastructure that will aid in nearly doubling the size of the Indian economy to USD 5 trillion in the next five years.
"To some the target of nearly doubling the size of Indian economy to USD 5 trillion in five years may seem difficult. But when we have in five years (of BJP rule) added USD 1 trillion as compared to USD 2 trillion size achieved in 70 years of independence, then this target is achievable," he said.
"The country shouldn't lose this opportunity," he said adding that his government has provided high growth while keeping inflation at low rate.
He referred to reforms such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) for aiding the growth process and said the government will invest Rs 100 lakh crore in building modern ports, highways, railways, airports, hospitals and educational institutions.
India was ranked 142nd among 190 nations when the Narendra Modi's government took office in 2014. Four years of reform pushed up India's rank to 100th in the World Bank's 'Doing Business' 2018 report. It was 130th in 2017 when India was ranked lower than Iran and Uganda.
In its annual 'Doing Business' 2019 report, India secured 77th position. New Zealand tops the list, followed by Singapore, Denmark and Hong Kong. The United States is placed at 8th and China ranked 46th. Neighbouring Pakistan is placed at 136.
India has improved its ranking by 53 positions in the last two years and 65 places in four years since 2014.
The World Bank ranks 190 countries based on 10 parameters, including starting a business, construction permits, getting electricity, getting credit, paying taxes, trade across borders, enforcing contracts, and resolving insolvency.
People no longer happy with plan of rly station, they want Vande Bharat Express in
their area: Modi
People of India are no longer happy with merely the proposal for a new railway station, they want to know when the state-of-the-art Vande Bharat Express will come to their area, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday speaking of the changing aspirations of the people.
In his Independence Day address, Modi said that the government has decided to invest Rs 100 lakh crore in infrastructure development.
"People's thinking has changed. Earlier, people were happy with merely a plan to set up a railway station. Now people ask- when will Vande Bharat Express come to my area. People do not want only good railway stations or bus stations, they ask when is a good airport coming," he said.
Currently only one Vande Bahrat Express is operational between Delhi and Varanasi, while another between Delhi and Katra is in the pipeline.
PM Narendra Modi made a fresh pitch for holding Lok Sabha and assembly polls together, saying the concept of 'one nation, one election' is imperative to make the country great.
During his address to the nation on the 73rd Independence Day, he said today, India is talking about simultaneous polls which is a good thing.
Last August, the Law Commission had recommended holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies to save public money.
The draft, submitted to the Law Ministry, however, cautioned that "holding simultaneous elections is not possible within the existing framework of the Constitution".
The Centre has been toying with the idea for quite some time now.
Addressing a Niti Aayog meeting here in June, Modi had called for widespread debate and consultations on simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and state assemblies, keeping in view various aspects such as the resulting financial savings and consequent better utilisation of resources.
The government think-tank, NITI Aayog, had last year suggested synchronised two-phase Lok Sabha and assembly polls from 2024 to ensure minimum campaign-mode disruption to governance.
In June, soon after returning to power, Modi had met leaders of various political parties having representation in Parliament to explore possibilities of holding Lok Sabha and assembly elections together.
A committee will be set up by the government to further explore the issue.
We neither nurse problems, nor keep them pending: PM on Art 370
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that his government neither nurses problems nor keeps them pending and referred to the scrapping of special status to Jammu and Kashmir, saying India now is one nation with one constitution.
He said that within 10 weeks of assuming power, his government has taken key decisions such as bringing a new law to ban the practice of instant triple talaq and scrapping provisions of Article 370 related to Jammu and Kashmir.
"Our government does not delay decisions. We neither nurse problems nor keep them pending," he said while referring to Article 370.
Previous governments made efforts in the past 70 years to deal with Kashmir, but it did not bear results, he said, adding "a new approach was needed".
He said that every effort being made to remove corruption and black money was welcome and added these are "menaces" that have ruined India for 70 years.
Advocating the principle of minimum government and maximum governance, the PM said that the government should have minimal role in people's lives.
"Let our people have the freedom of pursuing their own aspirations, let the right eco-system be made in this regard," he said.
Referring to the issue of "population explosion", Modi said that it led to many difficulties.
"We have to be concerned about population explosion. The Centre as well as state governments should launch schemes to tackle it," he said.
He said his government has dedicated itself on all fronts in the service of countrymen.
"The spirit of one nation, one constitution has become a reality now. And India is proud of it," he said.
He also referred to the introduction of GST, saying it has given life to the dream of one nation, one tax.
India has also achieved one nation, one power grid in the energy sector and arrangements have been made for one nation, one mobility card.
"Today, India is talking about one nation, one election. It is good that such a discussion is taking place," he said referring to holding of simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
Stating that the aim of his government was to reach among first 50 nations in ease of doing business and for that global best practices have to be kept in mind.
"India does not want to wait too long for incremental progress. A high jump is needed, our thought process has to be expanded," he said, adding a decision has been taken to invest Rs 100 lakh crore in infrastructure building.
Modi also condoled the death of people in recent floods and assured the affected of all help.
He said if 2014-19 was an era to fulfil people's needs, the time since 2019 is about meeting aspirations and dreams.
"People's trust in us has given us new strength. The 2019 mandate shows that hopelessness has given way to hope among masses," he said.
He said, "In the last five years, we tried to improve ease of living. We will work harder in the next five years."
"Scrapping of instant triple talaq will help Muslim women live a better life. The decision should not be seen through a political prism...if we can take steps against 'Sati' custom, female foeticide and dowry, then why not against instant triple talaq," he asked.
He said half of the country's households do not have access to piped water.
"I want to announce from the Red Fort that we will move forward with Jal Jeevan Mission. The Centre and states will work towards it and in coming years, more than Rs 3.5 lakh crore will be spent," he said.
Modi said for water conservation, efforts need to quadruple in the next five years as to what was done in the last seven decades.
Modi expresses concern over 'population explosion', advocates measures to deal with it
In his Independence Day speech, Modi said the issue of ever-rising population is a matter of concern and said that a small section of society, which keeps their families small, deserves respect. What they are doing is an act of patriotism, he said.
He also expressed concern over "population explosion" in the country saying it causes new challenges for the coming generations, and asserted that the central and state governments should launch measures to deal with the issue.
This is the first time Modi has raised the issue, even though a section of the BJP has been vocal about the matter.
If population is educated and healthy, the country too will be educated and healthy, he said.
PM Modi dons multi-coloured turban for Independence Day speech
Prime Minister Narendra Modi sported a multi-coloured turban as he gave his sixth Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Thursday. "Safa" has been a highlight of the PM's sartorial choices at Independence Day and Republic Day events.
Modi donned a half-sleeve white kurta, pyjama and a stole with saffron border along with a multi-coloured turban replete with hues of yellow, red and green with 'leheriya' pattern.
PM Modi hoists tricolour at Red Fort
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the national flag on the 73rd Independence Day at the ramparts of the historic Red Fort in Delhi.
Modi, dressed in a white kurta-pyjama and a colourful turban, was received by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Red Fort. He then inspected Guard of Honour.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the Rajghat on the occasion of Independence Day, prior to the flag hoisting at the Red Fort.
He headed to the venue of Independence Day function at the Red Fort to hoist the tricolour and address the nation, after paying homage to Gandhi.
It will be Modi's sixth Independence Day speech and the first after returning to power with a massive mandate, from the ramparts of the Red Fort.
