Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoisted the tricolour at Red Fort on Saturday as India celebrated its 80th Independence Day, addressing the nation around 7:39 am.
Modi restated the government’s target of 100 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity by 2047, adding that five new reactors are expected to become operational within six to seven years.
He said seven to eight new semiconductor manufacturing plants are expected to be operational within one to two years, part of efforts to boost domestic chip production.
The prime minister also announced AI-driven skill training for one crore young people over the next year, free online coaching for competitive exams, and a nationwide sports talent search for children aged five to 15.
Modi said previously restricted maritime zones would be opened for mineral and crude oil exploration, part of a wider energy security push linked to the ‘Viksit Bharat’ goal for 2047.
He said youth have a central role in that journey, framing the announcements around Viksit Bharat and Atmanirbhar Bharat, or self-reliant India.
This year’s address marked Modi’s 13th consecutive Independence Day speech from the ramparts of Red Fort since he first took office in 2014.
Celebrations were held across the country to mark the occasion, with flag-hoisting ceremonies and cultural programmes organised at state capitals, schools and government offices nationwide.
Modi opened his address by expressing solidarity with families affected by floods, landslides and other natural calamities across the country in recent weeks.
The prime minister also warned against what he described as ‘dimaagi Naxals,’ or intellectual Naxalism, calling for such elements to be identified and isolated to keep the country’s development on track.
Around five thousand special guests were invited to witness the celebrations at Red Fort, including artisans under the PM Vishwakarma scheme, women entrepreneurs under the PM Mudra Yojana, street vendors under PM SVANidhi, and taxi drivers of Bharat Taxi.
Photo by Mr. Debapriya Hore, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
