Embassy of India

Baku, Azerbaijan

1. In this extraordinary time of Corona, Corona warriors have lived the mantra of 'Seva Parmo Dharma.' Our doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, ambulance personnel, safai karmacharis, policemen, service personnel and many people are working round the clock continuously. Amid Covid pandemic, 130 crore Indians took the resolve to be self-reliant, and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' is on the mind of India. This dream is turning into a pledge. Aatmanirbhar Bharat has become a 'mantra' for the 130 crore Indians today. I am confident of the abilities, confidence and potential of my fellow Indians. Once we decide to do something, we do not rest till we achieve that goal. Only a few months ago, we used to import N-95 masks, PPE kits, and ventilators from abroad. We not only made N-95 masks, PPE kits and ventilators during the pandemic, but were able to export these to all over the world. When Corona started, there was only one Lab for Corona Testing in our country. Today there are more than 1,400 Labs in the country. Another very big campaign is going to start in the country from today. This is the National Digital Health Mission. Every Indian will be given a health ID. National Digital Health Mission will bring a new revolution in India's health sector. All your tests, every disease, which doctor gave you which medicine, when, what were your reports, all these information will be contained in this one health ID. Today, not one, not two, three vaccines of Corana are currently under testing phase in India. As soon as the green signal is received from the scientists, the country's preparation is also ready for mass production of those vaccines. (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare)
2. National Infrastructure pipeline project worth Rs 110 lakh crore will boost our overall infrastructure projects. We will now focus on multi-model connectivity infrastructure. We can't work in silos anymore; we need to focus on comprehensive and integrated infrastructure. About 7,000 projects of different sectors have also been identified. It will bring a new revolution in infrastructure sector. The whole world has been noticing the reforms being pursued in India. As a result, the FDI inflow has broken all records. India witnessed 18% jump in FDI even during the Covid pandemic. Who could have imagined that lakhs of crores of rupees would be directly transferred in the Jan Dhan accounts of the poor in the country? Who could have thought that such a big change would happen in the APMC Act for the benefit of farmers? One Nation-One Ration Card, One Nation - One Tax, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code and Merger of Banks is the reality of the country today. 7 crore poor families were given free gas cylinders, more than 80 crore people were provided free food with or without ration cards, about 90 thousand crores were directly transferred to bank accounts. Gharib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan has also been started to provide employment to poor in their villages. This is also the first time when the EMI of a home loan for your home is getting a rebate of up to 6 lakh rupees during the payment period. Just last year, a fund of 25 thousand crore rupees has been established to complete thousands of incomplete houses. In Corona's time, we have seen what the role of Digital India campaign has been. Just last month, almost 3 lakh crore rupees have been transacted from BHIM UPI alone.  (Ministry of Finance).
3. How long will the raw material from our country become a finished product and return to India. There was a time when our agricultural system was very backward. The biggest concern then was how to feed the countrymen. Today, we can feed not only India but many countries of the world. Self-reliant India not only means reduction of imports, but also to increase our skills and our creativity. Self-reliant India has an important priority - self-sufficient agriculture and self-reliant farmers. To provide modern infrastructure to the farmers of the country, a few days ago 'Agriculture Infrastructure Fund' of Rs 1 lakh crore has been created. (Ministry of Agriculture)
4. From this same Red Fort, last year, I announced the mission of Jal Jeevan. Today, under this mission, every day more than one lakh houses are getting water connection. (Ministry of Jal Shakti)
5. Education of the country has great importance in building self-reliant India, in building modern India, in building new India, in building prosperous India. With this thinking, the country has got a new National Education Policy. ( Ministry of HRD)
6. Before 2014, only 5 dozen panchayats in the country were connected with optical fibre. In the last five years, 1.5 lakh gram panchayats in the country have been connected with optical fibre. All 6 lakh villages in the country will be connected with optical fibre within coming 1000 days. There are more than 1300 islands in our country. In view of their geographical location, considering their importance in the development of the country, work is underway to start new development schemes in some of these selected islands. After Andaman and Nicobar islands, in the next 1000 days, Lakshadweep will also be connected to submarine optical fibre cable. (Ministry of Communications)
7. My dear countrymen, our experience says that whenever there is an opportunity for women power in India, they have brought laurels to the country, strengthened the country. Today, women are not only working in underground coal mines, but also flying fighter planes, touching new heights in sky. Of the 40 crore Jan Dhan accounts opened in the country, about 22 crore accounts are of women only. At the time of Corona, in April-May-June, about thirty thousand crores of rupees have been directly transferred to the accounts of women in these three months. (Ministry of Social Justice)
8. This year is the year of a new development journey of Jammu and Kashmir. This year is the year of rights for women and Dalits in Jammu and Kashmir! It is also a year of the dignified life of refugees in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a matter of pride for all of us that the representatives of the local bodies in Jammu and Kashmir are pushing forward a new era of development with activism and sensitivity. By making Ladakh a Union Territory last year, the old demand of its people has been met. Ladakh, situated in the heights of the Himalayas, is moving forward today to touch new heights of development. Just as Sikkim has made its mark as an Organic State, in the coming days, Ladakh, will make its identity as a carbon neutral region, work is also being done in this direction. (Ministry of Home Affairs)
9. A special campaign with a holistic approach to reduce pollution in 100 selected cities of the country is also being worked on. India is fully sensitive to the preservation and promotion of its biodiversity. In the recent past, the tiger population has increased at a rapid pace in the country! Now a project lion for our Asiatic lions is also going to be started in the country. Similarly, Project Dolphin will also be launched. (Ministry of Environment)
10. From the LOC to the LAC, whoever has raised eyes on the sovereignty of the country, the country, the army of the country has responded in the same language. Respect for India's sovereignty is supreme for us. What our brave soldiers can do for this resolution, what the country can do, the world has seen this in Ladakh. Our border and coastal infrastructure also have a huge role in the security of the country. Be it the Himalayan peaks or the islands of the Indian Ocean, today there is an unprecedented expansion of road and internet connectivity in the country. The expansion of NCC will be ensured to 173 border and coastal districts of the country. Under this campaign, special training will be given to about 1 lakh new NCC Cadets. In this also, about one-third of the daughters will be given this special training. (Ministry of Defence)

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Full Speech of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s address to the Nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 74th Independence Day- August 15, 2020 :

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1646045