1.#Opinion: Monday 18, November 2024, 06:00. 3742. / 1. ##Narendra Modi: PM-NEWS UPDATES: PM addresses Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2024 in New Delhi: 16 Nov, 2024Print News. / +1more //

=====================================================================================

1.#Opinion: Monday 18, November 2024, 06:00. 3742. /

1. ##Narendra Modi: PM-NEWS UPDATES: PM addresses Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2024 in New Delhi: 16 Nov, 2024Print News. /

=======================================================================================

VIDEO: PM Modi addresses the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit

======================================================================================

#Releases a commemorative postage stamp celebrating 100 years of Hindustan Times

=====================================================================================

Comments:

The power that has shaped India’s destiny, shown direction to India, is the wisdom and capability of the common man of India: PM

Progress of the people,Progress by the people,Progress for the people is our Mantra for New and Developed India:PM

Today, India is filled with unprecedented aspirations and we have made these aspirations a cornerstone of our policies:PM

Our government has provided citizens with a unique combination, of Employment through Investment, Dignity through Development:PM

The approach of our government is Spend Big For The People,Save Big For The People:PM

This century will be India’s century:PM

==========================================================================================

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2024 in New Delhi today. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister remarked that the Hindustan Times was inaugurated 100 years ago by Mahatma Gandhi and congratulated the Hindustan Times (HT) for its historic journey of 100 years and all the people who were associated with it since its inauguration. He wished them the best for their future endeavours. Having visited the exhibition of HT at the venue, Shri Modi said it was more of an experience and urged all the delegates to visit it. He added that he witnessed the old newspapers of the days when India got its independence and constitution was enforced. Shri Modi acknowledged that many stalwarts like Martin Luther King, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose, Dr. Syama Prasad Mookherjee, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Dr M.S Swaminathan had written articles for HT. He added that the long journey, which witnessed the freedom struggle as well as treading forward with hopes in the post-independence period, has been phenomenal and amazing. The Prime Minister said that he felt the same excitement to read the news about merger of Kashmir with India like every other citizen in October 1947. However, he added, at that moment he also realised how indecisiveness had kept Kashmir mired in violence for seven decades. Shri Modi said but it is heartening that these days news of record voting in the elections in J&K is published in papers. Shri Modi remarked that he found another newspaper print very special where on one side of it, there was news of Assam being declared a disturbed area while on the other side, there was news of Atal Ji laying the foundation of Bhartiya Janata Party. He added that it was such a pleasant coincidence that today BJP is playing a big role in bringing permanent peace in Assam.

Recalling his participation in the 1st Bodoland Mohotsov yesterday, Shri Modi remarked that he was astonished to find poor media coverage of the event. He added that it was a great achievement when the youth and people had given up violence after 5 decades and were celebrating a cultural event in Delhi. He added that the lives of the people had transformed after the 2020 Bodo Peace Accord. As part of the HT Summit exhibition, Shri Modi saw pictures of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai and said there was a time when the people felt unsafe in their own house and cities due to the terror sponsored by the neighbouring countries. However, he added, now the times have changed and terrorists in their own houses don’t feel safe.

The Prime Minister remarked that in its 100 years, Hindustan Times has seen 25 years of slavery and 75 years of freedom along with the dispensations that have made India’s fate, shown direction to India along with the capability and wisdom of the common man of India. He added that experts have often made mistakes in recognizing this capability of the common citizen of India. Touching upon history, Shri Modi said when the British were leaving India, it was said that the country would disintegrate & break down and when emergency was imposed, some people had assumed that now the emergency will remain forever while some people and institutions had taken refuge with those who imposed the emergency. Even at that point of time, Shri Modi said, the citizens of India stood up and uprooted the emergency. Further explaining the strength of common man, Shri Modi hailed the spirit of common citizens in fighting a strong battle against the COVID pandemic.

Touching upon the past, the Prime Minister said there was a time in the 1990’s when India had seen 5 elections in a span of 10 years evident of the instability in the country. He added that while the experts writing in the newspapers had predicted that things would continue in the same manner, the citizens of India had once again proved them wrong. Shri Modi said that today, there is talk of uncertainty and instability all around the world with many countries in the world seeing new dispensations coming to power, whereas in India, people had elected the same government for the third time.

Talking about policies in the past, Shri Modi said the phrase ‘Good economics is bad politics’ was being promoted by experts and supported by the Governments. This, he said, had become a means to the earlier Governments to cover up bad governance and inefficiency. He added that this had led to an unbalanced development in the country which had hampered the trust of the people in the Government. The Prime Minister remarked that his Government had won back the trust of the people by ensuring the Mantra of Progress of the people, Progress by the people and Progress for the people. He added that the Government’s aim was to build a new and developed India, and the people of India had entrusted them with the capital of their trust. Shri Modi remarked that despite misinformation, disinformation in the age of social media, the citizens of India have faith in us, in our government.

Shri Modi highlighted that when the trust of the people increases, their confidence increases, which results in a different effect on the development of the country. Emphasising on the importance of Risk-taking, Shri Modi remarked that our ancestors took risk which helped us to promote Indian goods and services in the foreign countries and make India a hotspot of commerce and culture. However, he added, that this culture of risk-taking was lost in the post-independence period by the previous Governments. Shri Modi remarked that India was seeing development and changes in the last 10 years since his government came to power and gave new energy to the risk-taking culture among the citizens of India. He added that our youth were finding opportunities and taking risks in various fields which was evident in the registration of more than 1.25 lakh startups in India. The Prime Minister said there was a time when even taking up sports as a profession was a risk. However, he added, today, even the youth of our small towns are taking this risk and bringing glory to the country in the world. Citing example of the women associated with self-help groups, Shri Modi said today, about 1 crore lakhpati didis are running their own businesses by becoming entrepreneurs in every village.

“Indian society, today, is filled with unprecedented aspirations and We have made these aspirations the basis of our policies”, said Shri Modi. He added that the Government had promoted a model of development consisting of the combination of employment through investment and dignity through development. The Prime Minister added that where there is investment, employment is generated through investment leading to development and that development increases the dignity of the citizens of India. He cited the example of building toilets in the country, which is a means of security and dignity along with convenience. Shri Modi said it also accelerated development, thereby making evident the success of the mantra of Employment through Investment, Dignity through Development on ground. He also cited the example of LPG gas cylinders, which was considered as a status symbol in the past. Shri Modi remarked that his government made it a priority to provide gas connection to every house while previous Governments were debating on the number of cylinders to be given to people. He added that there were more than 30 crore gas connections in the country as against 14 crore in 2014. Shri Modi further highlighted that there was supporting infrastructure to ensure the demand of the gas cylinders is met. This, he said, had also created employment right from setting up of bottling plants at various places to creating distribution centres to delivery of cylinders. Shri Modi also listed other examples such as mobile phone, Rupay card, UPI etc which were based on the Investment to Employment, Development to Dignity model of development.

The Prime Minister emphasized that it was imperative to understand another approach of the government to understand the growth trajectory that India is on today. He added that the approach was “Spend Big for The People and Save Big for The People”. Explaining the same, Shri Modi said, India’s union budget is Rs. 48 lakh crores today as against Rs. 16 lakh crores in 2014. He added that today’s capital expenditure is more than Rs. 11 lakh crores as against Rs. 2.25 lakh crore in 2013-14. He further added that the capital expenditure was being spent on new hospitals, schools, roads, railways, research facilities and many such public infrastructure. The Prime Minister underlined that along with increasing expenditure on the public, the Government was also saving the public’s money. Presenting the facts and figures, Shri Modi said that the leakage that has been stopped by DBT has saved the country Rs. 3.5 lakh crore while Free treatment under Ayushman Bharat Yojana has saved Rs 1.10 lakh crore for the poor. He added that Medicines available at 80% discount at Jan Aushadhi Kendras have saved Rs 30 thousand crore for the citizens while controlling the prices of stents and knee implants has saved thousands of crores of rupees for the people. Continuing the list, he added the Ujala scheme has saved Rs 20 thousand crore in electricity bills for the people while Diseases have reduced due to Swachh Bharat Mission, and this has saved about Rs 50 thousand for every family in the villages. Citing UNICEF report, Shri Modi said that the family which has its own toilet is also saving about Rs 70 thousand and WHO study conducted on 12 crore people whose homes have tap water for the first time have saved more than Rs 80 thousand every year.

Remarking that 10 years ago, nobody had anticipated such big changes in India to take place, Shri Modi said “India’s success inspired us to dream bigger and fulfil it”. He added that this had raised hope and thought that this century will be India’s century. Emphasizing that it was necessary to undertake many efforts to move in this direction, Shri Modi said the Government was working swiftly to do the best in every sector. He remarked that efforts are needed to make our processes such that India’s standard is referred to as ‘world class’ be it in the manufacturing of products or construction, education or entertainment. Shri Modi remarked that Hindustan Times also had a very big role in reiterating this approach in the minds of the people and their 100 years of experience will be very useful in the journey towards a developed India.

Concluding the speech, Shri Modi expressed confidence that India will maintain this pace of development and soon become the third largest economy in the world. He added that Hindustan Times will also witness the new century of rapidly changing India.

================================================================================

2.##PM’s address at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2024: 16 Nov 2024Print News. //

=============================================================================

VIDEO: PM Modi addresses the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit

===================================================================================

##PM’s address at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2024

================================================================================

Namaskar to all of you!

100 years ago, Hindustan Times was inaugurated by revered Bapu … He was a Gujarati speaker, and you have invited another Gujarati after 100 years. I congratulate Hindustan Times and all those who have been associated with this historic journey over the past 100 years, those who contributed to nurturing it, who struggled and faced challenges but remained steadfast. All of them deserve congratulations today and are worthy of respect. Completing a journey of 100 years is indeed significant. You all deserve this recognition, and I extend my best wishes for the future. When I arrived here, I met members of the family and had the opportunity to view a remarkable exhibition showcasing the 100-year journey (of Hindustan Times). I encourage all of youto spend a while there before leaving if you have the time. It is not just an exhibition, but an experience. It felt as if the history of 100 years passed before my eyes. I saw the newspapers from the day when the country gained independence and the day the Constitution was implemented. Renowned and distinguished figures such as Martin Luther King, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Dr. M. S. Swaminathanused to write for Hindustan Times. Their writings enriched the newspaper immensely. Truly, we have come a long way. From fighting for independence to riding the waves of boundless hope after freedom, this journey has been extraordinary and incredible. In your newspaper, I sensed the excitement that existed in October 1947 after the accession of Kashmir, which was felt by every citizen. At that moment, I also realized how indecisiveness kept Kashmir engulfed in violence for seven decades. Today, your newspaper covers news of record voting in Jammu and Kashmir, which contrasts sharply with that past. Another newspaper page draws attention and captivates the reader. One section reported Assam being declared a disturbed area, while another talked about Atal ji laying the foundation of the BJP. It is a pleasant coincidence that today the BJP plays a major role in bringing lasting peace to Assam.

Just yesterday, I attended a grand event with people from the Bodo region, and I was surprised that the media in Delhi missed this significant event. They do not realize that after five decades, young Bodos are now celebrating a cultural festival in Delhi, leaving behind violence, bombs, and guns. This is a major historical event. I was there yesterday, and I felt it deeply. The Bodo peace agreement has transformed the lives of these people. During the exhibition, I also saw reports on the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. It was a time when our people felt unsafe even in their own homes and cities due to acts of terrorism by a neighboring country. But now, the situation has changed, and even terrorists from that country do not feel safe at home.

Friends,

Hindustan Times witnessed 25 years of colonial rule and 75 years of independence during its 100-year journey. The force that shaped Bharat’s destiny and provided direction throughout these 100 years is the wisdom and capability of the common Indian. Several experts have often underestimated the strength of the common Indian. When the British left Bharat, it was said that the country would break apart and had no future. During the Emergency, some believed it would become permanent, and democracy would be lost. Some people and institutions even sided with those who imposed the Emergency. Yet, the citizens of Bharat stood up, and it did not take long for the Emergency to be overthrown. Think back to the challenging times of the Corona when the world expected Bharat to become a burden on the global community. But the citizens of Bharat fought back and demonstrated resilience.

Friends,

You might remember the 1990s when Bharat went through five elections in 10 years. Five elections in 10 years in such a big country! Such instability led many experts and newspaper columnists to predict that Bharat would always remain this way. Yet, the people of Bharat proved those experts wrong once again. Today, the world faces uncertainties and instability. There are many countries in the world where governments are changing in every election, whereas Bharat stands out, having elected the same government for the third consecutive term.

Friends,

Many of you have tracked Bharat’s politics and policies for a long time. There used to be a phrase often heard—” Good economics is bad politics.” So-called experts promoted this idea, giving previous governments an excuse to do nothing. In a way, it became a way to cover up inefficiency and poor governance. Earlier, governments ran just to win the next election. Vote banks used to be created and policies were crafted to keep those vote banks happy. The biggest harm caused by this type of politics was that it greatly increased inequality and imbalance in the country. Development was announced but rarely seen. This model eroded trust in the government. We have restored this trust with a clear purpose, which is thousands of miles from vote-bank politics. The purpose of our government is grand and comprehensive: We are following the mantra of ‘Progress of the people, Progress by the People, and Progress for the People’. Our aim is to build a new Bharat, a Viksit Bharat (Developed India). And when we have set out with this huge goal, the people of Bharat have also entrusted us with the capital of their trust. You can imagine that misinformation and disinformation are rampant in this era of social media. There are numerous newspapers and channels, yet despite this, the citizens of Bharat trust us and our government.

Friends,

When public trust and self-confidence grow, it has a unique impact on the nation’s development. You are aware that from ancient developed civilizations to today’s developed countries, one common trait has been the culture of risk-taking. There was a time when our country was a hotspot of commerce and culture. On one hand, our merchants and sellers were active in South East Asia, on the other hand, they also had deep ties with the Arab world, Africa, and the Roman Empire. This was possible because they took risks, enabling Bharat’s products and services to reach distant shores. After independence, we needed to cultivate this risk-taking spirit, but the earlier governments did not instil that confidence in citizens. As a result, generations spent time taking one step forward and two steps back. In the past decade, the changes in the country have rekindled this risk-taking spirit among Indians. Today, our youth are risk-takers across various fields. Starting a company was once considered risky, and start-up stories were rare even ten years ago. Now, there are more than 125,000 registered start-ups in the country. There was a time when sports and adopting sports as a profession was seen as risky career choices, but today even the youth of our small towns are taking these risks and bringing glory to the country. Women involved in self-help groups are another example. Today, around one crore women have become ‘LakhpatiDidis’, running their businesses and driving entrepreneurship in villages. I recently spoke to a rural woman who shared how she bought a tractor and increased her family’s income. One woman took a risk and transformed her family’s life. When the poor and middle class begin to take risks, true change becomes visible. This is what we are witnessing in Bharat today.

Friends,

Bharat’s society is now filled with unprecedented aspirations, which we have made a foundation of our policies. Our government has provided a unique combination of investment to the citizens that leads to employment and development that ensures dignity. We are promoting a development model that generates investment, creates employment, and elevates the dignity of Indian citizens. For example, it is about building toilets in the country. I am talking about issues which might seem minor but have significant value. Let me explain it through an example. Our mission to build toilets was not just about providing facilities but ensuring safety and dignity of a large population. When this scheme is mentioned, people often talk about the crores of toilets that have been built. The numbers are fine, but each toilet that was built involved materials such as bricks, iron, and cement, creating jobs. And all this stuff has come from some shop, has been produced by some industry. Some transporter has delivered it to someone’s home. This means that the economy has also got a boost, a large number of jobs have been created. As a result, life has become easier, and respect and self-esteem have increased among the people. Additionally, it also paved the way for development. This shows the success of the mantra: Investment leading to Employment, Development ensuring Dignity.

Friends,

Another example is that of LPG gas cylinders. In the past, having a gas cylinder in one’s home was seen as a status symbol. Neighbours would view such a person as influential, someone with stature, because they owned a gas stove. Those without a gas connection would long for the day when their meals could also be prepared on a gas stove. The situation was such that people had to seek letters of recommendation from Members of Parliament to obtain a gas connection. And I am speaking about the early 21st century, not the 18th century. Before 2014, the governments used to debate whether to provide six or nine cylinders annually. We shifted the focus from debating the number of cylinders to ensuring that every household had access to a gas connection. We have given more gas connections in the last 10 years than were given in the 70 years after independence. In 2014, there were 14 crore gas connections in the country; today, there are over 30 croregas connections. Despite this massive increase in consumers, have you ever heard of a gas shortage? No, you haven’t. Has it ever been reported in Hindustan Times? No, it hasn’t, because it hasn’t occurred. This is because we invested in building a supporting infrastructure. We established bottling plants and distribution centres across the country. Employment opportunities were created everywhere right from bottling plants to distribution of cylinders.

Friends,

I can give you countless such examples. Take mobile phones, for instance, or the RuPay card. Previously, having a debit or credit card gave a sense of pride to some people, who would show it off as a status symbol. The poor, seeing these cards, would wish to own one someday. But with the advent of the RuPay card, even the poorest in our country now have debit and credit cards. This newfound access makes them feel equal and boosts their self-respect. Today, even the poorest person makes online transactions. Someone stepping out of a luxury car at a mall uses the same UPI payment system that a street vendor uses. This is also a brilliant example of how investment leads to employment and how development fosters dignity.

Friends,

To understand Bharat’s current growth trajectory, it is essential to look at our government’s approach. One approach is ‘Spending Big for the People,’ but we also have another approach: ‘Saving Big for the People.’ It might interest you to know how we are doing this. In 2014, our union budget was around 16 lakh crore rupees. Today, this budget stands at 48 lakh crore rupees. In 2013-14, we spent approximately 2.25 lakh crore rupees on capital expenditure. Today, our capital expenditure exceeds 11 lakh crore rupees. This 11 lakh crore rupees is being used for new hospitals, schools, roads, railways, research facilities, and various other public infrastructure projects. While we increase public spending, we are also saving the public’s money. I want to share some figures with you that might interest you.

For instance, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) has saved the country 3.5 lakh crore rupees by preventing leakages. The Ayushman Bharat scheme has saved the poor 1.1 lakh crore rupees through free medical treatment. Citizens have saved 30,000 crore rupees through the Jan Aushadhi centres, which offer medicines at an 80% discount. Price controls on stents and knee implants have saved thousands of crores for people. The UJALA scheme, by promoting LED bulbs, has reduced electricity bills by 20,000 crore rupees. The Swachh Bharat Mission has reduced illness, saving each rural household approximately 50,000 rupees. UNICEF reports that families with their own toilets save around 70,000 rupees each.

Friends,

A WHO study on the 12 crore households that received tap water for the first time shows that these families save over 80,000 rupees annually due to access to clean water.

Friends,

Ten years ago, no one could have imagined such a transformation in Bharat. Our success has inspired us to dream bigger and work harder to achieve those dreams. Today, there is hope and a belief that this century will be India’s century. But to make this a reality, we need to accelerate our efforts in many areas. We are rapidly advancing in that direction. We have to move forward to do our best in every sector. We need to adopt the mindset that nothing less than the best is acceptable to us. We need to create processes so that Bharat’s standards are recognized as world-class. We must produce goods that are known globally for their excellence. Our construction projects should be regarded as world-class infrastructure. In the field of education, our work should be recognized worldwide. In the entertainment industry, we should create works that are acclaimed internationally. Hindustan Times has an important role to play in maintaining and promoting this approach. Your 100 years of experience will be invaluable on the journey to a ‘Viksit Bharat’.

Friends,

I am confident that we will maintain this pace of development and soon become the world’s third-largest economy. When Bharat celebrates the 100th anniversary of its independence, Hindustan Times will also be around 125 years old and will be recognized as the premier newspaper of a ‘Viksit Bharat’. You will be witnesses to this journey. However, since I am here, I must assign you a task, (Shobhana) Bhartia ji and this will be your responsibility.

Our great literary figures have had research conducted on their works. PhDs have been awarded for research on various topics. What if a PhD were conducted on the 100-year journey of Hindustan Times? This would be a great service, bringing forth research that highlights the journey of Indian journalism, a journey that witnessed both the colonial and post-independence eras, days of scarcity, and days of influence. I believe this would be a significant contribution. The Birla family has always been known for its charitable activities. Why not establish a Hindustan Times Chair in universities within Bharat and abroad, dedicated to research that brings out Bharat’s true identity in a global context? Your newspaper has accomplished great things, but the respect and trust you have earned over the past 100 years could serve generations beyond the scope of Hindustan Times. I am confident that this centenary seminar won’t just end here but will pave the way for more initiatives. Secondly, the exhibition I saw was indeed impressive. Could you create a digital version with comprehensive commentary and make it accessible to all school children across the country? This would provide valuable insight into Bharat’s history, the challenges faced, and the progress made. I believe you have worked hard on this, and by creating a digital version, you could make it a source of attraction and learning for children across the nation.

Friends,

100 years is a significant milestone. These days, I am quite occupied with various tasks. But this is an occasion I did not want to miss; I wanted to be here personally. Because completing a journey of 100 years is, in itself, a great achievement. And therefore, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you and all your colleagues. Thank you very much!

========================================================================================

JAI HIND
JAI BHARATHAM
VANDHE MADHARAM
BHARAT MATHA KI JAI.

PM lauds Marathi community of Nigeria for being connected to their culture and roots

17 Nov, 2024

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today lauded the Marathi community of Nigeria for being connected to their culture and roots, when the community expressed joy on Marathi language being conferred the Classical language status.

=================================================================