My dear countrymen, today we are all celebrating the 80th Independence Day. Today, every heartbeat resonates with the call of 'Vande Mataram.' Today, every home has the tricolor, every mind has the tricolor. And the country, with enthusiasm and vigor, is moving forward with new resolutions. I extend my very best wishes to all of you on Independence Day.
Today, the country pays tribute to those great sons who reached the pinnacle of sacrifice and martyrdom for the nation's freedom. Through their penance, sacrifice, and dedication, they devoted their entire lives to the sole goal of independence. Today, I bow with reverence to Mahatma Gandhi and all the freedom fighters, and to the great revolutionaries who awakened the great tradition of sacrifice.
For all those present at this ceremony today, this is also a historic moment. For the first time since independence, 'Vande Mataram' is echoing at the Red Fort on the 15th of August. Today, as we celebrate 150 years of Vande Mataram, what could be a more fitting occasion than this?
My dear countrymen, in recent days, several parts of the country experienced floods and natural disasters. Many families were affected. We deeply feel their pain and suffering. I assure the affected families that we and the entire nation stand with them.
My dear countrymen, any nation becomes great and achieves its potential only when it moves forward on the strength of its dreams, its resolutions, and its capabilities. My dear countrymen, we can no longer proceed with small dreams. We must dream big, because big dreams expand our thinking and broaden our horizons. Our resolutions must be firm. When resolutions are firm, the ability to find paths through difficulties and disasters emerges naturally. And my dear countrymen, our resolutions must also be lofty. Because when dreams are high and resolutions are elevated, the height of our capabilities also rises, the height of our efforts also rises, and then we can turn our dreams into reality.
My dear countrymen, today India has also envisioned a great dream — a dream seen with a firm resolution, to touch new heights. That dream is that when we complete 100 years of independence, in 2047, we will have built a developed India. With the collective effort of 1.4 billion citizens, we must achieve this goal. And when the world's most populous country resolves to become developed, it becomes a testament to our courage in the eyes of the world. The world is compelled to change its perspective toward us.
Dear countrymen, and I am not saying this without reason. Over the past 12 years, crores of citizens — whether Dalits, oppressed, marginalized, tribal, rural or urban, poor or middle class, youth or elderly, women or men, from the North, South, East, or West — everyone has, with resolution and dedication, made every effort to take the country to new heights. I respectfully acknowledge their efforts, and the result is that in such a short time, 25 crore citizens have overcome poverty and moved beyond it.
It is the result of these citizens' efforts that we have gone from being labeled part of the 'Fragile Five' to becoming the fastest-growing major economy in the world within 12 years. Friends, the country became free with many dreams, but we could not gain momentum. We kept saying, 'It will happen, we'll see,' and remained lost in that complacency. By 2014, the entire world had dumped us into the 'Fragile Five.' At such a time, over the past 12 years, India has picked up a new pace. We are moving forward rapidly, and the resolve of 1.4 billion citizens cannot be stopped.
Dear countrymen, over the past 12 years, defense production has increased nearly fourfold. Khadi and village industry production has grown about fivefold. Electronic manufacturing has increased nearly sevenfold. Modern railway coach production has risen 21-fold. Mobile phone production has grown 33-fold. Not only that, in the world of digital innovation, we have also made our mark. Internet users and consumers have grown nearly fourfold. Patent grants have increased fourfold. Digital transactions have grown 100-fold.
We have also worked with equal seriousness toward the facilities of the common person. On average, we have provided tap water connections 15 times faster each year. Gas connections have been provided six times faster. Toilets for the poor have been built four times faster. Homes for the poor have been delivered three times faster each year. The country has also brought significant changes in governance — thousands of compliances have been eliminated, hundreds of outdated laws have been repealed. You cannot march into the 21st century with laws from the last century.
We have expanded metro networks for modern infrastructure. We have strengthened public transport. The scale, speed, expansion, and achievements of this work — the country has witnessed this for the first time since independence in the past decade. And when so many achievements are before us, when such rapid progress is visible, and the capability of our citizens is manifesting moment by moment, then the resolution of building a developed India by 2047 can never remain incomplete. All these figures testify that we are moving forward.
My dear countrymen, but for this, we need self-confidence, self-respect, and above all, we must become self-reliant. And therefore, over the past years, our conviction has been that India must no longer live dependent on other countries. We must become self-reliant. The world offers much that is cheap and readily available, but that does not build our capabilities, nor does it test our strength. And therefore, we must enhance our own capacities and protect our own interests. That is why we are moving forward with a very firm resolution for a self-reliant India. Make in India, Swadeshi, Vocal for Local — in all these areas, every Indian's heart is now connected.
My dear countrymen, let me give you the example of semiconductors. After independence, the world was already discussing semiconductors. We also had discussions, but we could not advance any major semiconductor plan. And what is the situation today? In today's digital world, in today's technology, we understand the importance of chips. Any electronic goods, our medical equipment, our transport systems — chips are essential in everything. The situation has arisen where the world would come to a halt without these chips. And therefore, in the direction of self-reliance, India has started large semiconductor plants. Three semiconductor plants have already begun, and I have been told that production has started and exports have begun.
And I want to tell my countrymen that in the coming seven to eight years, five, seven, or eight more semiconductor plants will start very soon. This self-reliant India is the great highway to a developed India. My dear countrymen, similarly, discussions are now happening about critical minerals. Entire technologies depend on critical minerals. India is also working to secure itself in this area. We have launched the National Critical Minerals Mission. We have announced Critical Mineral Corridors. Agreements are being made with many countries. Many nations of the world are now beginning to trust India on critical minerals.
My dear countrymen, just as we discuss semiconductors and critical minerals, in the direction of technology that we and the world are moving toward, the importance of energy is ever increasing. Now, without energy, it is difficult to run the new world. And therefore, whether it is chips, AI, or data centers, we will need enormous amounts of electricity. Energy security is the demand of our time, and therefore we have already taken strong, successive steps in that direction.
A major medium of energy security is nuclear energy. We have passed the Atomic Energy Act in Parliament, paving the way for a new direction. By 2047, we are working toward a target of 100 gigawatts of nuclear power. In this decade itself, we are working toward starting five new nuclear reactors. This year, India has achieved mastery in fast breeder nuclear technology, marking an important milestone. This has given us a major step toward self-reliance in nuclear fuel.
My dear countrymen, many times a country does not stop because of a lack of resources. The reason for stopping is the limitations of thinking. When thinking becomes confined and begins to stagnate, we cannot even recognize our own capabilities. Today, the country has to depend on crude oil, and this is because of our flawed thinking. You will be surprised to know that we had declared 99% of our coastline as a 'No-Go Area.' We ourselves had decided not to explore beneath the ocean. This was poverty of thinking. We decided this could not continue. We opened up that 99%, which was once a No-Go Area, as a 'Go-Ahead Area.' And now we are exploring beneath the ocean and discovering new reserves. Last year, in this direction, we announced 'Samudra Manthan' (Ocean Exploration), and recently we allocated ₹5,000 crore to accelerate this work.
My dear countrymen, for energy security, as I said, it is essential to put full force toward alternative sources as well. And therefore, while increasing the proper use of energy, India is working rapidly in this direction. Before 2014 — that is, 12 years ago — piped gas distribution was available in only 70 cities in our country. In 12 years, we have expanded this from 70 cities to 700 cities. This is what speed looks like. This is what expansion looks like. Before 2014, piped gas reached barely 20.2 million homes. Today, we are working to deliver piped gas to nearly 20 million homes.
Twelve years ago, the country's solar energy capacity was just 2 gigawatts. From 2 gigawatts, today we have achieved a target of 160 gigawatts. My dear countrymen, let me share another piece of information. We have focused equally on ensuring that the benefits of this reach the middle class and ordinary families. We launched the PM Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme, and I am pleased that in such a short time, we have crossed the milestone of 50 lakh homes with solar energy installations. It is progressing rapidly, and as a result, thousands of homes have zero electricity bills. Thousands of homes are now earning by selling surplus electricity. We are providing ₹80,000 assistance from the government to each family for this work.
My dear countrymen, you will be surprised to know that railway electrification in our country began in 1925. But in 90 years — from 1925 to 2015 — only 30% of our railways were electrified. That is, 30% in 90 years. Look at our pace. Look at our race to achieve the target. We completed 100% of the work in just one decade. 30% in 90 years, 70% in 10 years — this is what real work looks like. And because of this, the diesel we had to import has been saved. Our trains now run on electricity, benefiting the environment.
My dear countrymen, we have not stopped here. We do not want to lag behind the world. In recent days, you may have heard the news — India has also touched a new frontier in fuel. The country has launched the first hydrogen-powered train. And I am happy to say this is the longest and most powerful hydrogen train, and in the field of hydrogen trains, India has also planted its flag in the world.
Dear countrymen, over the past 10 to 12 years, we have been continuously running toward the 2047 goal, achieving milestones one after another. We had not imagined that we would also have to face some difficulties. In the past 10 to 12 years, we have had to confront many crises. The global pandemic of Corona threw the entire world into worry. All systems were disrupted. After emerging from Corona, news of the horrors of war began to arrive — tensions in Ukraine, in West Asia, everywhere. And who knows what all the soothsayers had predicted. Some people take pleasure in scaring the country, keeping it fearful and anxious. They said vaccines would not be available, people would not survive COVID, nothing would happen. When the West Asia crisis came, they said there would be no petrol at pumps, no gas, no diesel, no fertilizer. Spreading rumors from around the world to frighten the people of India — some people were enjoying this.
But the country saw that the well-thought-out plans of the past 10 to 12 years were bearing fruit. Despite such a massive crisis, the citizens lived by the mantra of 'Narayan Seva' (service to humanity). The preparations India had made, the steps taken one after another — though we had not anticipated this crisis — all these things came in handy during the crisis. And today, the country has gas, petrol, and urea. We are standing and moving on the strength of our own capabilities.
My dear countrymen, the impact of these global crises was felt by everyone. We were not untouched. Urea prices in the world reached ₹5,000 per bag. Even today, we are not forcing our farmers to bear that burden. The government is shouldering that burden. What costs ₹3,000 per bag in the world, we provide to our farmers for just ₹300. Not only that, DAP has reached ₹5,000 in the global market. But so that our farmers do not face difficulty, we are still providing DAP at ₹1,350.
My dear countrymen, there was a time when I spoke of self-reliance, and some people sitting in air-conditioned chambers were telling us about what would happen to globalization. But the world is watching that over the past decade, it seems the world has stopped even saying the word 'globalization.' The voices that once came from where globalization was championed are no longer heard. Every country in the world has turned toward protecting itself. But unfortunately, during this period of crisis, some people, to show off their influence, have played the game of weaponizing resources. The world is busy weaponizing whatever it has — resources, petrol, diesel, fertilizer, medicines, technology chips. Not only that, even geography is being weaponized.
And at such a time, if we had not walked in the right direction for 10 years with the mantra of self-reliance, we can imagine how we would have faced these challenges strongly. And our preparations continue to grow. My dear countrymen, on the other hand, India's profile is rising globally. Today, India is emerging as an accepted and respected nation for the world. India has a stable political mandate, a stable government, a vibrant democracy, a strong judiciary, and a Constitution that guides us all. And now the world is beginning to recognize these capabilities. And therefore, since 2014, we are entering Free Trade Agreements with nearly 40 countries.
Now see what a great opportunity has come. These trade agreements are a tremendous opportunity, and therefore I especially want to tell our MSMEs that we must not miss this chance. We must reach the world. Every product of India should reach global markets — our textiles, our machinery, our medicines. We must not miss this opportunity. But we must meet global parameters. We must offer better than what the world provides, and at a more competitive price. From Ludhiana in Punjab to Tripura in Tamil Nadu, our textile sector can reach the world. Not only that, from Kerala to Gujarat, from Tamil Nadu to Bengal, our coastline, our fisherfolk — today, because of these FTAs, there is great potential for the export of our seafood. Our seafood has the potential to reach the world.
And therefore, I would like us to take advantage of this situation and move forward. My dear countrymen, the foundation I have laid before you is built on the strong base of the 2047 goal. The goal of a developed India by 2047 is a testament to the capabilities that the country's citizens have demonstrated over the past 101 years. And therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, a quarter of this century has already passed. The next quarter is extremely important for us. We cannot stop now. Our momentum cannot halt. Our direction is set. We must achieve our goals, and for this, we must change our work culture. We must change our thinking, and we must change the pace of our work.
The work that has not been done in the past five to seven decades, we must accomplish in the next five to seven years. And I have faith in the youth power of my country, in our young men and women, in our mothers and sisters, in our farmers, in our laborers — that we can realize this dream. And therefore, we must also accelerate the pace of reform. And when I speak of reform, reform is neither a compulsion for us nor a burden. For us, reform is a conviction — out of conviction. We have embarked on the Reform Express, and in the days ahead, we will move toward next-level reforms. And therefore, government, society, industry, producers, farmers — everyone must reform their traditional systems, reform their thinking, reform their goals.
My dear countrymen, we must move in a definite direction. Today, I also want to recall the era when we knew India's capability as 'Sapt Sindhu' — the seven rivers. Now, to build a developed India, we need a new stream. Today, from the ramparts of the Red Fort, I invoke before the nation the 'Saptadhara' — the Seven Streams of Power. In the coming five to seven years, with the strength of these seven streams, we will give the country new heights, new momentum, and the capability to surpass new goals. And along with this, the youth power of the country will be fully utilized in nation-building.
When I speak of the Saptadhara, the first stream of power is Manufacturing Power. My dear countrymen, we must push the manufacturing sector much further ahead. Along with increasing production, we must make both small components and large products. The entire value chain must be ours. We need components, we need complete manufacturing, and we need complete products. From design to manufacturing, India must become a trusted hub of the global supply chain. For this, I want to emphasize three things. To every brother and sister in the manufacturing sector, this is the moment, this is the opportunity — do not let it slip away. For this, we must meet global standards in cost, quality, and scale. Our factories must be competitive, our products user-friendly, our packaging attractive to the world's people. Zero defect, precision manufacturing must become our identity. Every manufacturer, every entrepreneur, every MSME — I want to tell you that our identity in the global market must be built on reliability and quality. No compromise on quality. Our mantra must be: quality, quality, quality. This will be our global brand value.
My dear countrymen, the second stream of this Saptadhara is Agriculture and Food Production — abundant food processing. We must move forward in this direction. Our farmers now have access to global markets. Because of FTAs, we are getting a very large market. We must reach there. We must touch that space. We must go from the farm to the export market. Our traditional foods, our millets, our spices, our fruits, our flowers — what do we not have? These must become global brands. Our farmers will promote chemical-free farming. The demand for this in the world is only going to increase. And when our agro-products meet every global parameter, we will easily reach the world.
My Saptadhara's third stream of power is Technology and Innovation. My dear countrymen, today is the era of AI, quantum computing, space, and robotics...
Data centers have opened up a completely new field. And emerging technology is challenging us every moment. And that is why we must not just make the country a market for the world. We have to become a hub of innovation. We have proven our strength in UPI and digital public infrastructure. Now, we must take India's digital public technologies to every corner of the world. India must lead in next-generation communication technology. Made in India 6G reaching every corner should be our goal, and we must accelerate our efforts in this direction.
The fourth power of Saptadhara is Gati Shakti. We must emphasize seamless, fast connectivity within the country. We must connect cities with high-speed rail. We need modern highways, inland waterways, airports, and a multimodal logistics system. Our ports should not just be places for loading and unloading goods. We must move towards port-led development and growth.
Our fifth power of Saptadhara is Raksha Shakti, or defense power. Its importance is immense in every way. My dear countrymen, India has experienced the need to be self-reliant in defense, and the world has experienced it too. There is no alternative. When the world is thinking only of itself, India cannot remain just a market for the world. We must become self-reliant in defense. We must aim to become a global supplier by developing next-generation defense technologies. We must develop drone and counter-drone systems and take leadership in hypersonic defense technologies. Friends, cybersecurity is also becoming a problem for every household today. It is also a field of defense where we can utilize the capabilities of our youth for the country and the world.
The sixth power of our Saptadhara is the Green Economy. The Blue Economy, which also gives birth to green jobs. We must achieve global scale in green hydrogen, renewable energy, energy storage, green mobility, and green manufacturing. While the world keeps discussing global warming and searching for solutions, India has the immense potential to lead a green movement. India also has a huge opportunity for the Blue Economy. We have a very long coastline. There are immense opportunities in fisheries, coastal tourism, ocean technology, and many such sectors where we can advance.
My dear countrymen, when we talk about Saptadhara, its seventh stream is India's Soft Power. The strength of India's soft power. Today, yoga has connected the entire world with India. Yoga is becoming a source of energy for the world and a major reason for trust in India. A country with centers of faith, with Ayurveda, with a holistic healthcare system, with the Heal in India movement, can take its capabilities to the world. Handicrafts, culture, our films, our creative world, VFX, animation, gaming, digital content—in the creative world, India can showcase its stature. We must develop it as a global capability. Today, India has given great strength to the WAVES Summit. The world gradually looks forward to India's World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit, which will introduce the world to India's soft power and creative world.
My dear countrymen, India has vast natural wealth. We have more than 100 national parks. We have great potential. But we have fallen short in attracting foreign tourists. We have the opportunity to attract tourists to India through our soft power. We must showcase our capabilities. We must do this work with determination and speed. Today, sports in the world are also a major attraction towards India. Why shouldn't global sports events be held in India? The concert economy is growing rapidly. It is an attraction for the youth of the country. Every artist in the world wants to hold a concert on Indian soil at some point. This is a huge opportunity. We must create the systems to mobilize this.
Friends, the purpose of these seven powers of Saptadhara is not just progress in one sector. We must work towards achieving the nation's goals and ambitions with a holistic approach. My dear countrymen, I have mentioned some things. But I think even further. I want to awaken the country. I want to awaken the country's strength. The country is not just the government. The country means every citizen is connected. Can't we think that while we hear a lot about the Fortune 500, in the coming decade, why shouldn't 50 of these Fortune 500 companies be from India? Why shouldn't this be our goal?
Today, the banking sector is flourishing. Why shouldn't an Indian bank's flag fly among the world's top banks? An Indian bank should be among the top five banks. We have done a lot of work in the pharma sector. But the times demand that the names of one or two Indian pharma companies should be heard among the world's top five pharma companies. India must make its place there. There are law firms, rating agencies. Is it not the demand of the times that global leadership should now be in our hands? We have the talent, the capability, and a long history. We have mastery over languages. We must reach the world. Why shouldn't our consulting or accounting firms be among the world's top firms? India's technology companies should be prominent in the world. This should be our goal. We should have brands that attract the world. Our brands should be the identity of our country and become a destination for the world. We must work in that direction.
And for this, I want to tell the state governments and local self-governing bodies. It is also the responsibility of the Government of India to accelerate the pace of our reforms. We must develop our systems in line with the goals for 2047. We cannot run on the policies and rules of the past. We must craft policies and rules for the dreams of the future. And if we do this, I have full faith, and I assure my countrymen, that on this path, without any compromise in our hard work, we will achieve the dream of a developed India. We must all move forward together. The central government, state governments, industry—we must all move forward together. We must keep reforming and pushing reforms forward. And as I said before, we are not doing reforms out of compulsion, but out of conviction. We are doing it to achieve our goals.
My dear countrymen, when I talk about a developed India and moving the country forward at a fast pace, who is the biggest beneficiary of this? Who is the biggest agent of all these efforts? If there is an agent, it is the youth of my country. It is the youth power of my country. The youth have a huge role to play in the journey of a developed India. Not only that, the biggest beneficiary of a developed India is also the youth of my country. And that is why we must move forward by connecting the goal of a developed India with the youth. We must move forward with the youth as our top priority.
Friends, in the last 10-12 years, a lot has happened in this direction. The Startup India campaign has led to more than 2.5 lakh registered startups across the country. The country's youth are working themselves and providing employment to many. The Government of India has announced a ₹1 lakh crore innovation fund. I want to tell the country's youth, come forward with your dreams. We will not let there be a shortage of resources. We have created a system of ₹1 lakh crore to empower your mind and capabilities. New opportunities for research have emerged. Cheap data from Digital India has empowered the youth. The cheapest data in the world is available on Indian soil. And the country's youth have given new strength to the youth. We have created a national program for Skill India. We have opened the space sector. We have created a National Drone Policy. We have created the Khelo India policy. After 35 years, we have brought a new education policy, and its benefits have reached middle-class families.
Friends, I should give you some figures. From 2004 to 2014, our country had fewer than 350 universities. And today, within 10-12 years, about 650 new universities have been added. We are reaching a figure of about 1,000. Before 2014, there were only 400 medical seats. Today, there are about 850 medical seats. Not only that, foreign universities are also coming to Indian soil. Arrangements have been made for my youth to get degrees from foreign universities in India.
We are working to attract our country's youth towards technology from a young age. And that is why we have handed over more than 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs to small children to foster their interest in innovation and technology. For the youth, we have opened many paths. We have opened up startups. You must have seen that India's private startups, with an average age of 28, have launched their satellite and rocket in the very first trial. They have done a great job, friends. Today, there are more than 2.5 lakh registered startups.
We recently held the AI Impact Summit. The expansion of AI is growing very rapidly. From the Red Fort, I want to make an announcement for the country's youth. We have decided that in the coming year, we will work to provide AI skill training to one crore youth, so that our country's youth can also lead in the world of AI.
My friends, the bio-economy is a new field. There was a time before 2014 when the bio-economy work was only of ₹60,000 crore. My country's youth, look what a marvel you have achieved. When policies are right and goals are clear, the youth of my country show their capability. The bio-economy, which was a business of ₹60,000 crore before 2014, has today reached ₹20 lakh crore.
Friends, in the period of 2009-10, only 1.5 lakh electric vehicles were sold in our country. In 2025-26, 25 lakh electric vehicles have been sold.
My dear countrymen, the aviation sector is also advancing very rapidly for my youth. New airports, new routes, and new employment opportunities are being created. Maintenance and overhauling are also providing work to a large number of skilled manpower in the country. We have achieved success in the direction of making Made in India aircraft. The Made in India defense transport aircraft, C295, has already taken its successful flight. This is for the youth of the country.
My friends, drones have also done a great job. The Swamitva Yojana is succeeding with drones in villages. About 5 crore families have benefited from the Swamitva Yojana, and because of this, assets worth ₹140 lakh crore have been unlocked, which can help people get bank loans and run their businesses.
My dear countrymen, a huge burden has become a reality for our middle-class families. The competition of coaching classes. Every parent feels that if they don't send their child to a coaching class, they are not a prestigious family. Concerned about these poor and middle-class families, who spend thousands of crores, and so that their children can stay near them, be cared for, and the family is not burdened financially, we have decided to provide free online coaching for various exams for the youth. We have the digital public infrastructure, excellent talent, and teachers. By combining these resources, we are going to build a complete network to provide free coaching to the country's youth.
My dear countrymen, I have always said, let those who play, play. When I talk about letting those who play, play, my dear countrymen, today India is making its place in the world of sports. Now, on the sports podium, India's national anthem is heard. India's tricolor flag is seen waving. The TOPS scheme has achieved great success. Khelo India Games, University Games, Winter Games, Beach Games, sports infrastructure, coaching for sports, sports medicine, sports nutrition—in all these areas, India is now moving towards mastery. A whole new field is opening up for the youth, even if they cannot become players, there is a huge field in the support system. India's performance in the world of sports is improving, and we are moving forward as strong contenders for the 2036 Olympics. And in 2030, India is going to host the Commonwealth Games.
My friends, in the Olympic games held in the world, there are about 40 types of games and about 350 events. And you will be saddened to know, my countrymen, my youth, I challenge you, I appeal to you, I want your help. In about two-thirds of the 350 events, India is not even present. We do not qualify. We have decided that for the 2036 Olympics, we want it to be held in India. But in the events where India does not play today, where India does not qualify, where India has withdrawn, three-quarters of it is waiting for us. India will focus on this, and for this, we also want to run a talent hunt campaign. If we need players for 2036, we must focus on the youth who are 5, 10, or 15 years old today. We must focus on those daughters. And therefore, a talent hunt campaign will be run village by village, city by city, school by school to find sports talent among children aged 5 to 15. The children's talent will be identified, and then they will be given special training to become good players for the country.
My dear youth, addiction is becoming a huge crisis in front of the country's youth. A drug-free India should be our collective responsibility. For our bright future, our young generation must be strong. Our youth power must be useful for our country. Therefore, for a drug-free India, in recent days, My Bharat volunteers, the country's NGOs, social and cultural organizations, and spiritual leaders have together decided on a 100-week program for a drug-free India. A 100-week campaign is going to be launched. I want to tell every family to become a part of this campaign. Join it and come forward to fulfill the dream of a drug-free India.
My dear countrymen, in the 21st century, it is very necessary to end decades-old challenges. Naxalism and Maoism have destroyed the future of lakhs of youth. They have snatched away the infants of many mothers, ruined them, and shattered the dreams of every parent. For four decades, this Naxalism had a large part of India, a large population, under its grip at gunpoint. It had trampled the constitution. And in the protection of the country's ordinary citizens, more than 3,000 of our police and security force personnel were martyred. More soldiers died than in a war. Our police personnel had to risk their lives so that the common man of the country could be safe. This Naxalism had made the earth bleed.
In 2014, when you gave us the opportunity, we took a resolve that day to free the country from Naxalism. And today I am happy that Naxalite-Maoist violence probably does not even have the strength to take its last breath. We are moving in the direction of completely eliminating it. Where Naxalites' bullets once fired, where the earth was once stained with blood, today in those same Naxal-affected areas, the tricolor of development, trust, and effort is waving because they are Naxal-free.
But we have not underestimated this challenge. We need to be even more cautious about this challenge. For years, people with a Maoist mindset had made a place for themselves in the corridors of power. This Maoist thinking had also influenced policies as advisors in government committees.
My dear countrymen, we have succeeded in eliminating armed Naxals from the forests and freeing the country from that crisis. But the armed Naxals are gone, but the intellectual Naxals are looking for opportunities. They are digging paths for violence and anarchy. They are using various tactics to drag society onto the wrong path. We must identify these intellectual Naxals. We must isolate them and connect the country's young generation to the mainstream of building a developed nation.
My dear countrymen, building a safe India is our responsibility. Whether the challenge is within the borders or outside, India is prepared for every situation. Today, the nature of war is changing. It is no longer guaranteed that war will only happen at the border. Now, war can take a new form by targeting a refinery, the banking sector, or a data center. Infrastructure is being destroyed, factories are being demolished. We announced Mission Sudarshan Chakra last year. Work is progressing very rapidly on it. Today, our defense exports have increased about 50 times. Our weapons are reaching about 100 countries. India's prestige on the global stage is gradually increasing. In changing times, we must work on weapons and increase the capability of our armed forces. But at the same time, we must also prepare the citizens. The civil defense systems developed in our country based on the wars of the last century have become obsolete. And therefore, today from the Red Fort, I announce that in the coming days, we will build a vibrant network of civil defense. We will familiarize them with modern systems. We will create a large volunteer force for civil defense to overcome modern challenges.
My dear countrymen, in the building of the nation, the contribution of our sisters and daughters today has become a great source of inspiration for all of us. Whether it is fighter jets or civil aviation, our daughters are seen at the forefront. In the field of sports, our daughters are seen at the forefront. In the process of recruitment for STEM education, our daughters are seen the most. Today, even in the army, the daughters who have come out of the NDA are showing the capability to lead the country's army with great pride. I recently visited a semiconductor plant in Sanand. Tribal daughters from different corners of the country were working there. They came from villages where they didn't even know what a passport was. Those daughters went abroad for training and today are doing the work of chip manufacturing. I was truly very impressed by the confidence I saw in them.
Today, we had set a goal to make 3 crore sisters Lakhpati Didis, and we have achieved it. Now we are moving forward with the goal of making 6 crore Lakhpati Didis. Making 3 crore new Lakhpati Didis means a huge change is going to come in the rural economy through the power of women.
My dear countrymen, today in panchayats, municipalities, and municipal corporations, a large number of our women are becoming public representatives, guiding the country, solving problems, and providing very capable leadership. Keeping this in mind, we had passed the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam in Parliament. But for some reason or another, for the last 40 years, this dream has always been a victim of the political arena. I pray and appeal to all political parties of the country today, standing from the ramparts of the Red Fort under the shadow of the tricolor flag. Come, become worshippers of the strength of those women. Come forward in their honor, and soon, our mothers and sisters should get representation in the 33% of the Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha. They should contribute to India's policy-making. It is the demand of the times, and I appeal to all political parties again. Come, implement women's reservation, join in honoring women, take the glory, take the credit, but give my mothers and sisters their rights.
My dear countrymen, the resolve of a developed India will only be fulfilled when development reaches the last person. Before 2014, only 25 crore people had social security coverage. Only 25 crore. Friends, in the last five to seven decades, we have only covered 25 crore. In one decade, we have given the shield of social security to 100 crore countrymen. Through the Ayushman Bharat scheme, even senior citizens over 70 years of age are now getting free medicines up to ₹5 lakh. Crores and crores of families have received great convenience because of this. And because of this Ayushman card, the ₹5 lakh crore that was to be spent on medicines and operations has been saved for my families. They are poor families. They are middle-class families. They have received such a huge benefit.
My dear countrymen, today I need your help for one task. I am asking for your help. I want all the youth to lead this. Your one or two hours will give great strength to the country. You might think, what strength can I give to the country in one or two hours? I will tell you. You are going to become a great strength. And therefore, an atmosphere should be created in every household. These days, the census work is going on in the country. The census work is going on. The counting is on. And counting alone does not work with just figures. Policies are made from its nuances. Plans are made. The country prepares its roadmap to move forward. And therefore, it is very important to have accurate information. Sometimes, the representatives who come from the government are in such a hurry. Sometimes they write one spelling, sometimes another, and because of this, we ultimately face difficulties in getting the right results. Now that technology is available, and this time it has been decided that you can also submit your information for the census yourself through your mobile phone. Later, some officials or representatives will come and discuss with you, but if you and your family sit together and register digitally, ensuring there are no mistakes in spelling or any information, the more perfect information you provide, the more it will help the country move forward. And therefore, I urge the country's youth to actively join this census work.
My dear country servants, I had spoken about the Panch Pran from the Red Fort. This Panch Pran has given the country a great support to move forward with self-respect and the capability to achieve its goals. We must keep erasing the mentality of slavery every moment. The dream of India that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose saw, that Babasaheb Ambedkar saw, that Pandit Nehru saw, that Sardar Patel, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru saw, that Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee saw, that Bhagwan Birsa Munda saw, that Jyotiba Phule saw—taking inspiration from all of them, let us move forward. Let us repeat this resolve: the nation's interest above self, the nation's interest above self, and duty itself should be our identity. I will tell all countrymen, the time is ours. I will tell all countrymen, the time is ours, the opportunity is ours, the resolve is ours. Let us turn dreams into resolve, resolve into capability, and capability into success. Let us make every step a step of progress. Let us match step with step, mind with mind. Let us stay connected with the goal. Let one lamp light thousands of lamps. Come, let us build a developed India together. With this very sentiment, many, many best wishes to you all on this auspicious festival. Say with me, Victory to Mother India! Victory to Mother India! Victory to Mother India! Vande Mataram! Vande Mataram! Vande Mataram! Thank you very much.
