PM Modi Launches University In UP's Aligarh: Live Updates

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh State University in Aligarh.

The university is being established by the Uttar Pradesh government in the memory and honour of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh, the great freedom fighter, educationist and social reformer. It is being set up in a total area of over 92 acres at Lodha village and Musepur Kareem Jarouli village of Aligarh's Kol tehsil.

The university will provide affiliation to 395 colleges of the Aligarh division.

The Yogi Adityanath government's decision to set up the university after the noted Jat figure is being politically seen as part of the ruling BJP's bid to win over the community ahead of the crucial assembly polls in the state early next year.

Here are the highlights of PM Modi's address:

• Seeing the new university, the new defence corridor and other development works in Aligarh, Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh would surely have been very happy.
• It is the hard work and sacrifice made by such freedom fighters, that we enjoy our freedoms today.
• Many of the national icons, whose contributions towards the nation had been immense was ignored and forgotten over the decades since independence by previous governments. But today, be it Raja Mahedra Pratap Singh ji or Suhel Dev ji, or many others, are been given the importance they truly deserved.
• Today's generation is disconnected with such great leaders. I encourage all young people to read and know more about these leaders and their immense contribution to our freedom struggle and social reforms.
• Not only will this university be an important one in India, but the technical expertise it will give in the defence sector, especially in defence manufacturing will pioneer India's atmanirbharta (self-reliance) in the defence sector.
• India is giving priority to the defence sector, especially manufacturing. For decades, since Independence, India's image in across the world has been one of 'defence importer' - that too one of the largest. But now things are changing. We are taking steps to take India from a defence importer to one of the largest defence exporters in the world. And Aligarh is becoming a hub of defence manufacturing. Already 12 defence firms are being setup their manufacturing units here in Aligarh.
• Aligarh is renowned for the manufacturing locks. It has kept India safe over the decades. While that is still true, and has been since the 20th century, in the 21st century Aligarh will keep India's borders safe by contributing imeensely to the defence sector.
• Uttar Pradesh is benefitting greatly from the double-engine government at the state and Centre. There was a time when UP was considered a limitation and hinderance to India's growth, but today due to dozens of projects being done in the state, UP has totally changed its image and is today fuelling India's growth.
• There was a time when UP was infamous for its gunda-raj, mafia-raj and free run of gangsters, but under the Yogi government, all this has come to an absolute stop. Gangsters, mafias and gundas are kept where they belong - behind bars.
• There was a time people lived in fear, but with these anti-social elements behind bars, UP is living with confidence and freedom. All this is because of a very strong action by Yogi govt on these mafias and gangsters.