“The world viewed India as an overloaded flight until 2014, but today…” PM Modi Outlines Future Directions at Rising Bharat Summit | Complete Speech

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended CNN-News18’s Rising Bharat Summit, where he spoke on his government’s welfare initiatives, the fight against corruption, the next election, and other topics.

The prime minister’s address may be found in its entirety below:

One must have wondered, when I took part in the summit five years ago, why there was such a committed composure in the face of so much going on in the background, which made headlines the following day. You will undoubtedly analyze this in the future. That was February 28, 2019, the day I said goodbye to everyone and left this place. We carried out the Balakot airstrike that evening.

Here we are at this point in time, recalling that day as one to remember. You may have seen that countries that support terrorism as well as those that value peace have witnessed the rise of Bharat. The scars of terrorism are not something that this new India accepts. Conversely, it responds to them appropriately. The nation and the whole globe are witnesses to the demise of those who encouraged terrorism. The foundation of a developed country is a secure one. And this was the rising bharat of today.

Friends, election season is here, and the dates are set. Many people voiced their opinions at your conference. There are active debates going on. Additionally, the speed of election campaigning is quickening. The report from the government covering the last 10 years of work is being presented. We are strategizing for the first 100 days of our third term and creating a strategy for the following 25 years.

Our rivals are also setting new records, as we can see. They mistreated me for the 104th time today. They’ve bestowed upon me the Aurangzeb taunt. They’ve also declared their intention to blast my head off. The biggest election in history is taking place in the midst of all of this talk, both good and bad. Participating in the celebration of democracy are over 2,600 political parties, around 97 crore voters, and approximately 2 crore first-time voters.

Whether they are watching on TV or sitting here in the hall, every Indian takes pleasure in being the mother of democracy. The 21st century is now acknowledged by the globe as the Indian century. Prominent rating agencies, esteemed economists, and other specialists express confidence in Bharat’s economic potential. They don’t think about ifs or buts. Have you ever pondered why they are doubtless? It’s because India has undergone significant changes over the last ten years, which the whole globe is seeing. Changing the post-independence global culture and system was no small feat. However, it did occur, and we Indians made it possible.

Every Indian now reflects the nation’s degree of confidence. We are discussing an independent and self-sufficient India. Everyone is seeing India’s accomplishments, regardless of whether they are seated in the opposition, within the nation, or abroad. Over a ten-year period, 25 crore individuals succeeded in escaping poverty. This is no small accomplishment. It’s no small accomplishment to get from the eleventh to the fifth position in only ten years. India has accomplished a great deal by increasing its foreign exchange reserves to $700 billion. Furthermore, India’s exports surpassed $700 billion in only ten years. This is insignificant in light of what is to come (for Bharat).

Friends, there are a lot of well-known journalists here today, as well as representatives from the governmental, business, and civil society sectors. You have been seeing the former operations of bureaucracy. Have you ever questioned what caused the current changes that are being observed? The right purpose is that one component. Good intentions contribute to good outcomes. (Kaam sahi toh neeyat sahi.).

Given that my country excels in every area, why is it considered impoverished? Among the world’s youngest nations is ours. In the past, we led the world in knowledge and science. India has no justification in the world for falling behind any other nation. All we can do is go on with the intention of putting “Nation First.” To move the nation ahead, one just has to make this little distinction between simply being there and contributing in some small way to its well-being.

Whether you are a doctor or not, the day you match your work and goals with the nation’s is the day you match yourself with the country. Think of that day as the “nation first” seed being sown inside of you. The foundation of modern-day India’s ascent is this same notion of “nation first.” A life that is lived just for oneself is not one that is worthwhile. Live for the country if that’s what you want to do. For the sake of the country, if you were to die, die.

Friends, there is one very little-discussed difference between the pre-2014 period and the current. The nation’s goodwill is connected to this shift (Saakh). A nation that is losing its goodwill is incapable of being self-respecting. Try to recall the status of Bharat before 2014. Corruption was a major problem in every home, and national goodwill was eroding. However, the administration of the day would sometimes employ spurious justifications to justify itself.

Things are really different now. The administration is fighting corruption head-on and holding people accountable. Those who are corrupt tend to be defensive. It has already been questioned why the ED and CBI did not take action against influential individuals. These days, influential individuals wonder why they are the targets of attacks. Over the last 10 years, this difference has been seen. Thus, “right intention helps deliver right results,” as the adage goes.

My pledge is to take action against corruption. Friends, government offices used to be centers of power rather than centers of services, which is why corruption previously plagued our nation. People had to go to official offices for every duty. We transformed the government offices from hubs of power into hubs of services. The JEM site is now used by the government for the majority of its purchases. Most government contracts are published online.

Recall the degree of corruption seen in smaller services, such as 2G. Just think of what they could have done if 5G had been available at that time. Corrupt individuals used to devise a wide range of corrupt plans in the past. Our government uses technology to deal with these kinds of dishonest individuals. These days, it is easy to find and contact dishonest individuals. It is becoming tougher and harder to hide money and financial traces. For this reason, large sums of money are sometimes found hidden behind officials’ walls and in the residences of Congressmen and TMC legislators. They are all shaking in fright because of this. And why is this taking place? “Right intention helps deliver right results,” as the adage goes.

We all recall the day one of the leaders admitted that funds intended for welfare recipients were being embezzled. The rank and file were suffering from this kind of corruption. Funds from MNREGA intended for laborers were diverted to other uses. Funds for gas subsidies were moved to unidentified accounts. To get one’s own scholarship, one had to bribe. This used to work for the government officials who came before us. But friends, we’ve succeeded in stopping the government’s looting. The trio of Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, and Mobile has been established. We have directly given recipients Rs 34 lakh crore via direct benefit transfer (DBT). The government would have easily lost close to Rs 27 or Rs 28 lakh crore under the previous administration to fictitious beneficiaries who were living just on paper but never even born. Ten crore of these names have been removed.

You may be shocked to learn that we were able to identify and remove four crore fraudulent ration cards. Just for a moment, picture the extent of corruption and the way the underprivileged are being taken advantage of. Consider the looks on the faces of the underprivileged, who were supposed to get this ration but were never given it. They would lament their lot in life and the government. Our administration has given those impoverished people one country and one ration card today. That disadvantaged home is now receiving a fair amount of the ration from the government. When the poor thank me today, the opposition becomes agitated. Not only myself, but they also mistreat the underprivileged. Abuse, however, won’t hurt me. because the nation has reached a decision. “Phir ek baar,” said the audience, “Modi sarkar.” “Phir ek baar,” said the audience, “Modi sarkar.”

Friends, the welfare, dignity, and empowerment of the impoverished have been at the core of our government from the beginning. Living in the dark, sleeping on the streets, drinking tainted water, and openly defecating were not lifestyle choices.

The audience members seated here are unable to comprehend the lives they have had. But after going through that time and living that life, I’ve arrived at this point. why’s the reason why the goal of all major government programs is to end poverty. “Usko Modi Ne Puja Hai, Jisko Kisine Nahi Pucha.”

I wonder if many of you are aware that the impoverished were asked for a guarantee even in order to establish a bank account. Don’t bother applying for a loan. A portion of the nation without land was left to fend for itself. More than 80% of farmers were left on their own—many of them didn’t even own two acres of land. Millions of young people had their doors closed simply because they lacked a bank guarantee. Modi accepted as his assurance the word of individuals who had nothing to offer. He created the Mudra system with much emotion. We have handed young people Rs 30 lakh crore under this initiative without any guarantees. The self-help group movement, which serves the needs of 10 lakh sisters, was aided by this same mentality. This emotion led to the creation of the street vendor-focused PM Swanidhi Yojana. Additionally, PM Vishwakarma and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana were born out of this mindset. Can you imagine what would have occurred if we hadn’t had the correct intentions and Modi’s assurance?

Modi’s optimistic view today isn’t the result of promotion. Modi supported individuals who had been abandoned by everyone else. For this reason, all of the nation’s impoverished people have trust in Modi’s assurance. I’ll say it again: everything we have seen so far pales in comparison to what is to come.

Friends, our middle class has suffered political injustice for a very long time. Most of you would probably agree with me. The term “middle class” refers to a group of people who have overcome obstacles while also having high hopes for the future. In the past, the middle class faced many challenges in many spheres of society. The nation’s middle class was preoccupied with four main concerns: their children’s education, their desire to buy a home of their own, organizing their weddings, and providing secure employment for their offspring.

We have removed the chains that bound them to dread during the last ten years. Even Rs 7 lakh in annual income is now tax-free, compared to Rs 2 lakh in taxation in the past. People have saved around Rs 45,000 crore thanks to the GST. Interest rates on personal loans and house loans have come down over the last ten years. Under PM Sukanya Yojyna, the middle class has benefited the most.

Providing their children with a quality education is one of the middle class’s greatest aspirations. Our government is now establishing schools at a very rapid rate. Every day over the last 10 years, two new colleges have opened in India. And one new university every week. A record number of new medical schools, IITs, and IIMs are opening up across the nation. We have less than 400 medical colleges as of 2014. However, in the previous 10 years, that number has risen to 700. We only have 50,000 MBBS seats available in 2014. The number of MBBS seats has climbed to more than one lakh today. PG seats in medicine have also doubled. The government’s decision to require regional language training in institutions has also helped middle-class citizens.

Our government has managed to save thousands of crores of rupees that were previously spent on sending youngsters to study overseas. Reputable colleges from all over the globe have begun to build campuses in India these days. The government has amended the laws to support universities abroad.

Friends, new industries have given middle-class kids more opportunities during the last ten years. Young people now have access to start-ups, weaponry, drones, and the space industry. Reforms in a number of areas, including sports and defense, have helped provide young people with greater options.

Now that we have launched the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, there will be plenty of job possibilities as well. In a short while, the middle class will have no power costs. The desire to possess a house is likewise fostered by the middle class. You may be shocked to learn, however, that earlier administrations disregarded this need. Our government initiated the first one of these. We provided the middle class with interest reductions and loan subsidies. For this, we almost invested Rs 50,000 crore. Delhi and NCR residents are aware of the number of apartments that were involved in court disputes when they were renting and had to wait years to realize their aspirations. This complaint was not addressed by the previous administration.

Our government is finishing such unfinished projects by investing Rs 25,000 crore in order to provide the middle class with the house they were able to purchase with their money. We have brought forward RERA legislation in order to prevent similar situations in the future. Nobody can fool individuals out of their legitimate residences anymore. The middle class has greatly benefited from this change. This is what we mean when we talk about Modi’s assurance.

Modi is not just watching out for the property of city dwellers but also for rural residents. People in villages wind up spending their whole lives in courtrooms over land issues. We introduced the Swamitva Yojana to prevent conflicts pertaining to property. International organizations often stress how important it is for individuals to have just and equal property rights in order for a nation to develop. We have granted land titles to crores of individuals under the Swamitva Yojana. In rural places, land is mapped using drones and other property rights-related tasks. Many career possibilities are also being created by this.

Friends, up until 2014, people thought of India as an overbooked airplane, but now they find it impossible to fathom a future without India. Over the next five years, India will develop into a pilot capable of reaching new heights in international aviation. There is going to be an incredible amount of development, expansion, change, and prosperity during the next five years. And Modi has given his word on this.