New Delhi: From women's safety to uniform civil code and One Nation, One Election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set out his ambitious vision for India's future in his address to the nation on the 78th Independence Day today.
Here are the 10 big takeaways from PM's Independence Day speech:
Uniform civil code
The prime minister sought support from all political parties for a uniform civil code, saying that the move will reflect the spirit of the constitution. "A secular civil code in the country is the need of the hour," he said.
Calling the current civil code "a communal civil code", the prime minister said that it promoted discrimination along religious lines. "I would say, it is the need of the hour that India has a secular civil code. We have lived 75 years with a communal civil code. Now, we have to move towards a secular civil code. Only then would religion-based discrimination end," he said.
One Nation, One Election
Stating that frequent elections in the country are hindering the nation's progress, PM Modi also sought to rally support for 'One Nation, One Election' (ONOE). "Today, connecting every scheme to elections has become a habit because elections are held every few months in the country. The media often portrays that all these schemes are announced because of the elections," the Prime Minister said.
Fresh blood in politics
One lakh young people who do not have any political lineage will be made public representatives, PM Modi promised. "Their parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, nephews have never been in politics in any generation.. such talented youths, fresh blood. And, whether it is for panchayat, nagarpalika, zilla parishad, or Vidhan Sabha or Lok Sabha... There should be no political history of that family... so that one can get rid of casteism and dynasty politics," he said.
Fear against the corrupt
"I want to create fear in minds of the corrupt to stop tradition of looting common man," PM Modi said, while slamming the "mai-baap"culture that forces citizens to plead for every necessity. "Every citizen of this country has been troubled by the termite of corruption. I know I have to pay a price for this battle, my prestige may be at stake, but national interests are more important than personal prestige," he said.
Women's safety
The prime minister called for the strictest punishment against those who commit crimes against women. His comments come amid massive anger and protests over the rape and murder of a doctor at a Kolkata hospital. "Crimes against women must be probed as soon as possible, those involved in demonic acts must face strict punishment at the earliest, this is necessary to create faith in society," he said
Bangladeshi Hindus
PM Modi called on Bangladesh to ensure the safety of its minority Hindu community amid violent protests in the neighbouring country. "I hope that the situation there gets normal at the earliest. The concerns of 140 crore countrymen to ensure the safety of Hindus and minorities there," he said.
2036 Olympics in India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also said India is preparing to host the Olympics in 2036 as he congratulated all the athletes who represented India at the Paris Olympics 2024."India organising the G20 Summit on a large scale has proven that India has the capability to organise large-scale events...It is the dream of India to host 2036 Olympics, we are making preparations for that," he said.
Climate change
The prime minister reaffirmed India's ambitious goal of achieving 500 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030. He said that India has been the only country among the G20 nations to meet its Paris Accord goals.
75,000 new medical college seats
He also announced plans to add 75,000 new seats in medical colleges in the next five years, aiming to enhance the country's medical education capacity and address the growing demand for healthcare professionals.