Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India is eager to become developed and self-reliant. Delivering the sixth Ramnath Goenka Lecture in New Delhi, Mr. Modi said that at a time when the world is fearful of disruption, India is confidently moving in the direction of a bright future. The Prime Minister asserted that India is not just an emerging market, but also an emerging model. He highlighted that the world today views the Indian Growth Model as a Model of Hope.
Mr. Modi said, in the year 2022, the European crisis affected global supply chains and energy markets, impacting the entire world, and despite this, India’s economic growth continued strongly through 2022-23. He said, in 2023, even as conditions deteriorated in West Asia, India’s growth rate remained robust, and even this year, in the face of global instability, India’s growth rate is hovering around 7 percent.
Referring to the recent Bihar Assembly elections, the Prime Minister termed the results as historic, adding that the State has recorded the highest ever voter turnout since 1951, with women’s turnout approximately nine percent higher than that of men. He affirmed that this, too, is a victory of democracy. Prime Minister Modi remarked that the results in Bihar once again demonstrate the high aspirations of the people of India. He stated that today, citizens place their trust in political parties that work with sincerity to fulfil those aspirations and prioritise development.
The Prime Minister urged every state government to take note of the lesson from Bihar’s results and the kind of governance delivered today will determine the future of political parties in the years to come. He said, the people of Bihar gave the Lalu Prasad-led RJD regime in the State for fifteen years, but he could have done a lot for the development of Bihar, but he chose the path of lawlessness. Mr. Modi emphasised that whether it is the central government or governments led by various parties in the states, the highest priority must be development, development and only development. Mr. Modi called upon all state governments to compete in creating better investment environments, to compete in improving ease of doing business, and to compete in advancing development parameters. He stated that such efforts will earn the trust of the people.
Emphasising that for national development, it is essential that its benefits reach everyone. Mr Modi expressed satisfaction that today, the country is witnessing social justice being translated into reality. He elaborated on what true social justice means, citing the construction of 12 crore toilets, which brought dignity to those forced to defecate in the open. He highlighted that 57 crore Jan Dhan bank accounts enabled financial inclusion for those whom previous governments did not even consider worthy of a bank account. He added that 4 crore pucca houses have empowered the poor to dream new dreams and enhanced their capacity to take risks. Underlining the work done on social security over the past 11 years has been remarkable, the Prime Minister highlighted that today, nearly 94 crore Indians are covered under the social security net, compared to just 25 crore a decade ago.
Citing Bastar in Chhattisgarh as a notable example, Mr Modi recalled how journalists once needed permits from non-governmental entities more than from the administration to visit the area. Today, the same Bastar is progressing on the path of development. Further addressing the issue of local languages, questioning which other country disrespects its own languages, the Prime Minister pointed out that nations like Japan, China, and South Korea adopted many Western practices but never compromised on their native languages. He stated that this is why the new National Education Policy places special emphasis on education in local languages. He clarified unequivocally that the government is not opposed to the English language but firmly supports Indian languages.
