Towards a Developed India
When Parliament conducts its business smoothly, when healthy deliberations take place here, when far-reaching decisions are taken, then the people repose confidence not only in the Government but also in the entire system
Honourable Members,
1. I extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to all the newly elected members of the 18th Lok Sabha.
You all are here after winning the trust of voters of the country.
Very few get this privilege to serve the nation and the people.
I am confident that you will fulfil your responsibilities in the spirit of Nation First and will be a medium to fulfil the aspirations of 140 crore Indians.
I wish Shri Om Birla Ji the very best for performing his exalted role as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha.
He has vast experience in public life.
I am confident that he will be successful in taking democratic traditions to new heights with his skills.
Honourable Members,
2. I also express my gratitude to the Election Commission of India on behalf of crores of Indians today.
This was the largest election in the world.
About 64 crore voters performed their duty with enthusiasm and zeal.
Women cast their votes in huge numbers this time also. A very heartening aspect of this election emerged from Jammu and Kashmir.
The Kashmir Valley broke all records of voter turnout of many decades.
In the last four decades, we had witnessed low voter turnout amidst shutdowns and strikes in Kashmir.
Enemies of India continued to spread false propaganda at global forums, projecting it as an opinion of Jammu and Kashmir.
But this time the Kashmir Valley has given a befitting reply to every such element within the country and outside.
For the first time, the home voting facility was made available in this Lok Sabha Election.
I convey my appreciation for the work done by all the personnel associated with the Lok Sabha elections and also extend my congratulations to them.
Honourable Members,
3. The whole world is talking about the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.
The world is witnessing that the people of India have elected a stable Government with clear majority, consecutively for the third term.
This has happened after six decades.
At a time when the aspirations of people of India are at their highest ever, people have reposed faith in my Government for the third consecutive term.
The people of India have full faith that only my Government can fulfil their aspirations.
Therefore, this election of 2024 has been an election of trust in policy, intention, dedication and decisions:
• Trust in a strong and decisive Government
• Trust in good governance, stability and continuity
• Trust in honesty and hard work
• Trust in security and prosperity
• Trust in Government’s guarantees and delivery
• Trust in India’s resolve to be Viksit Bharat
It is a stamp of approval for my Government’s mission of service and good governance undertaken in the past 10 years.
It is a mandate that the work of making India a developed nation continues uninterrupted and India attains its goals.
Honourable Members,
4. The 18th Lok Sabha is historic in many ways.
This Lok Sabha has been constituted in the early years of Amrit Kaal.
This Lok Sabha will also be witness to the 75th year of adoption of the Constitution of India.
I am confident that this Lok Sabha will script a new chapter on decisions for public welfare.
My Government will present its first budget in the forthcoming session.
This budget will be an effective document of the Government’s far-reaching policies and futuristic vision.
Along with major economic and social decisions, many historic steps will also be seen in this budget.
The pace of reforms will be further accelerated in tune with the aspirations of people of India for rapid development.
My Government believes that there should be healthy competition among the states to attract investors from all over the world.
This is the true spirit of competitive cooperative federalism.
We will continue to move ahead with the belief that the development of the country lies in the development of the States.
Honourable Members,
5. The resolve to Reform, Perform and Transform has made India the fastest growing economy in the world today.
In 10 years, India has risen to become the 5th largest economy from being the 11th ranked economy.
From 2021 to 2024, India has grown at an average rate of 8 percent annually.
And this growth has not been achieved under usual circumstances.
In recent years, we have seen the biggest pandemic in 100 years.
India has achieved this growth amidst the global pandemic and despite ongoing conflicts in different parts of the world.
This has been made possible due to reforms and major decisions undertaken in the national interest in the last 10 years.
Today, India alone is contributing 15 percent of the global growth.
Now, my Government is striving to make India the 3rd largest economy in the world.
Achieving this goal will also strengthen the foundation of a developed India.
Honourable Members,
6. My Government is giving equal importance to all the three pillars of the economy – Manufacturing, Services and Agriculture.
PLI schemes and Ease of Doing Business have contributed to increasing investments and employment opportunities on a large scale.
Along with the traditional sectors, sunrise sectors are also being promoted in mission mode.
Be it semiconductor or solar,
Be it electric vehicles or electronic goods,
Be it green hydrogen or batteries,
Be it aircraft carriers or fighter Jets,
India is expanding in all these sectors.
My Government is also making continuous efforts to reduce the cost of logistics.
The Government is also strengthening the services sector.
Today, India is emerging as a leader in every sector from IT to Tourism and from Health to Wellness.
And this is creating a large number of new opportunities for employment and self-employment.
7. In the last 10 years, my Government has placed great emphasis on every aspect of rural economy.
Agro-based industries, dairy and fishery-based industries are being expanded in villages.
In this also, cooperatives have been accorded priority.
The Government is creating a large network of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and cooperative organizations such as PACS.
A major problem of small farmers is related to storage.
Therefore, my Government has commenced work on a scheme to create the world’s largest storage capacity in the cooperative sector.
To enable farmers to meet their small expenses, more than Rupees 3,20,000 crore have been disbursed to them under PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi.
In the initial days of its new term, my Government has transferred an amount of more than Rupees 20,000 crore to farmers.
The Government has also effected a record increase in the MSP for Kharif crops.
Honourable Members,
8. Today’s India is making changes in its agricultural system in line with its current requirements.
Policies have been framed and decisions taken guided by the thought that we become more self-reliant and increase farmers’ income through increased exports.
For example, the Government is providing all possible assistance to farmers to reduce dependence on other countries for pulses and oilseeds.
New strategies are being formulated, keeping in mind the kind of food products that are in high demand in the global market.
Nowadays, the demand for organic products is increasing rapidly in the world.
Indian farmers have ample capacity to meet this demand.
Therefore, the Government is strengthening natural farming and the supply chain of its related products.
With these efforts, expenditure incurred by farmers on farming activities will reduce and their income will also increase further.
Honourable Members,
9. Today’s India is known not for adding to the challenges the world is facing, but for providing solutions to the world.
As a Vishwa-Bandhu, India has taken initiatives in providing solutions to many global problems.
We are providing various solutions for issues ranging from climate change to food security and from nutrition to sustainable agriculture.
We are also running a campaign to popularise our coarse grains – Shree Anna – as a super food, across the world.
On India’s initiative, the year 2023 was celebrated as International Year of Millets across the world.
You have also seen that International Yoga Day was recently celebrated as a global event.
The prestige of this great legacy of India is continuously rising in the world.
By promoting Yoga and Ayush, India is helping create a healthy world.
My Government has also increased renewable energy capacities manifold.
We are achieving our climate related targets much ahead of schedule.
Our initiatives towards Net Zero are an inspiration for many countries.
A record number of countries have associated with us on our initiatives such as International Solar Alliance.
Honourable Members,
10. The future is going to be Harit Yug or Green Era.
My Government is taking all necessary steps in this direction.
We are increasing investments in Green Industries, leading to increase in Green Jobs.
Be it Green Energy or Green Mobility, we are working with ambitious goals on all fronts.
My Government is also committed to making our cities the best living spaces in the world.
Living in cities which are pollution free, clean and with amenities is the right of Indian citizens.
Investments on an unprecedented scale have been made, particularly in small cities and towns, in last 10 years.
India is the world’s third largest domestic aviation market.
In April 2014, India had only 209 airline routes.
This number has increased to 605 by April 2024.
This increase in the aviation routes has directly benefitted Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.
In 10 years, Metro has reached 21 cities.
Work is going on in many schemes such as Vande Metro.
My Government is working to make India’s public transport system one of the best in the world.
Honourable Members,
11. My Government is working on those modern parameters which will enable India to stand on an equal footing with developed countries.
In this direction, Infrastructure development has emerged as the new face of a changing India.
My Government has, in 10 years, constructed more than 3,80,000 kilometres of village roads under the PM Gram Sadak Yojana.
Today, we have an expanding network of National Highways and Expressways in the country.
The pace of construction of National Highways has more than doubled.
Work on the High-Speed Rail Ecosystem between Ahmedabad and Mumbai is also progressing at a rapid pace.
My Government has decided to conduct feasibility studies for bullet train corridors in the North, South and East of the country.
For the very first time, work on inland waterways has started on such a large scale.
The North-East will benefit immensely from this initiative.
My Government has increased the allocation for the development of the North-Eastern Region by more than four times, in the last 10 years.
The Government is working to make this region a strategic gateway under its Act East Policy.
Connectivity of all kinds is being expanded in the North-East. Development works are being taken up in every field including education, health, tourism and employment.
A semi-conductor plant is being established in Assam at a cost of Rupees 27,000 crore.
The North-East will also be a hub of Made in India chips.
My Government is continuously working for lasting peace in the North-East.
In the last ten years, many old disputes have been resolved, many important agreements have been reached.
The work of withdrawing AFSPA from the disturbed areas of the North-East is also underway in a phased manner by accelerating development in those areas.
These new initiatives in every aspect of development in the country are heralding the future of India.
Honourable Members,
12. My Government which is committed to women-led development has started a new era of women empowerment.
Women in our country had been demanding greater representation in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha for a long time.
Today, they stand empowered by the enactment of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
Over the past decade, various Government schemes have led to greater economic empowerment of women.
As you are aware, during the last 10 years, majority of the 4 crore PM Awas houses have been allotted to women beneficiaries.
Now, at the very start of the third term of my Government, approval for construction of 3 crore new houses has been accorded.
Most of these houses will be allotted to women beneficiaries.
Over the last 10 years, 10 crore women have been mobilised into Self Help Groups.
My Government has started a comprehensive campaign to make 3 crore women Lakhpati Didis.
For this, financial support to the Self Help Groups is also being increased.
The endeavour of the Government is to improve skills and sources of income, and enhance respect for women.
The NAMO Drone Didi Scheme is contributing towards achieving this goal.
Under this Scheme, women belonging to thousands of Self Help Groups are being provided with drones and also being trained as Drone Pilots.
My Government has also recently started Krishi Sakhi Initiative.
Under this initiative, till date, 30 thousand women belonging to Self Help Groups have been provided with Krishi Sakhi Certificates.
Krishi Sakhis are being trained in modern agricultural practices so that they can help farmers in further modernization of Agriculture.
13. The effort of my Government is also to maximise the savings of women.
We are well aware of the popularity of Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana under which a higher interest rate is being provided to girls on their bank deposits.
Women are also immensely benefitting from the schemes providing free ration and affordable gas cylinders.
Now my Government has also brought a scheme to bring down the electricity bill to zero and generate income by selling electricity.
Solar panels are being installed on the rooftops of houses under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.
For this, my Government has been providing a support of upto Rupees 78,000 per family.
More than 1 crore families have already been registered under this scheme within a very short time.
The electricity bill of houses with rooftop solar installation has come down to zero.
Honourable Members,
14. Achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat will be possible only when the poor, youth, women and farmers of this country are empowered.
Therefore, top most priority is being accorded to these four pillars in the schemes of my Government.
Our effort is to ensure that the benefit of every Government Scheme reaches them. This is the saturation approach.
When the Government works with the intention that not a single person is left out of the Government schemes, it benefits everyone.
It is because of the implementation of Government Schemes with the saturation approach over the last 10 years that 25 crore Indians have been brought out of poverty.
This includes families of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and all other social and regional groups.
In the last 10 years, focus on last mile delivery has changed the lives of these sections.
The change is more evident especially in the tribal communities.
A scheme like PM JANMAN with an allocation of more than Rupees 24,000 crore is proving to be a means of development of the most backward tribal communities.
The Government is also providing soft loans to the disadvantaged groups through PM-SURAJ portal for making livelihood opportunities available.
My Government is developing affordable indigenous assistive devices for Divyang brothers and sisters.
PM Divyasha Kendras are also being expanded to all parts of the country.
This commitment to serve the deprived is true Social Justice.
Honourable Members,
15. As a mark of respect for the country’s labour force, the welfare and empowerment of workers are my Government’s priority.
My Government is integrating all the Social Security Schemes for workers.
The coverage of accident and life insurance is being expanded by leveraging the networks of Digital India and the Post Offices.
The scope of PM SVANidhi will be expanded and street vendors in rural and semi-urban areas will also be brought under its ambit.
Honourable Members,
16. Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar believed that the progress of any society depends on the progress of the lower strata of the society.
Empowerment of the poor has been the foundation of the achievements and progress of the nation in the last 10 years.
For the first time my Government has made the poor realise that the Government is at their service.
In the difficult times of the Corona pandemic, the Government started PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana to provide free ration to 80 crore persons.
The benefit of this scheme is also being given to those families who have come out of poverty, so that they do not slip back into poverty.
Swachh Bharat Mission has also made the dignity of the poor and their health a matter of national significance.
For the first time, toilets were built for crores of poor people in the country.
These efforts give us the confidence that today the nation is following the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi in the true spirit.
My Government is providing free health services to 55 crore beneficiaries under Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
The opening of 25,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras in the country is also progressing at a fast pace.
Further, the Government is going to take yet another decision in this area.
Now all the elderly above 70 years of age will also be covered and get benefit of free treatment under Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
Honourable Members,
17. Often, due to adversarial mindset and narrow selfishness, the basic spirit of democracy has been greatly undermined.
It affects the parliamentary system as well as the developmental journey of the nation.
During the phase of unstable governments in the country that lasted several decades, many governments, even if willing, were neither able to bring reforms nor take critical decisions.
The people of India have now changed this situation by their decisive mandate.
Many such reforms have taken place in the last 10 years which are greatly benefitting the nation today.
Even when these reforms were being taken up, they were opposed and attempts were made to spread negativity.
But all these reforms have stood the test of time.
Ten years ago, to save India’s banking sector from collapsing, the Government brought banking reforms and made laws like IBC.
Today, these reforms have made India’s banking sector one of the strongest banking sectors in the world.
Our public sector banks are robust and profitable today. Profits of public sector banks have crossed Rupees 1.4 lakh crore in 2023-24 which is 35% higher than last year. The strength of our banks enables them to expand their credit base and contribute to the economic development of the nation.
The NPAs of Public Sector banks are also continuously decreasing.
Today SBI is earning record profits.
Today LIC is stronger than ever.
Today HAL is also giving strength to the country’s defence industry.
Today, GST has become a medium to formalise India’s economy and is helping make business and trade easier than before.
For the first time, in the month of April, GST collection has crossed Rupees 2 lakh crore. This has also strengthened the states economically.
Today, the entire world is excited about Digital India and Digital Payments.
Honourable Members,
18. Modernisation of our armed forces is essential for a strong India.
Reforms in our armed forces should be a continuous process so that our forces maintain their supremacy during wars.
Guided by this, my Government has introduced many reforms in the defence sector in the last 10 years.
Reforms like CDS have given new strength to our defence forces.
My Government has taken many important steps to make the defence sector self-reliant.
The defence sector has greatly benefitted from the reforms in ordnance factories.
More than 40 Ordnance factories have been restructured into 7 Defence Sector Enterprises, resulting in improvement of their capacity and efficiency.
It is due to such reforms that India is now manufacturing defence equipment worth more than Rupees 1 lakh crore.
In the last decade, our defence exports have increased more than 18 times to the level of Rupees 21,000 crore.
The BrahMos Missile defence deal with the Philippines has strengthened India’s standing in defence export sector.
By providing encouragement to youth and their startups, the Government has been able to lay down a strong foundation for a self-reliant defence sector.
My Government is also developing two defence corridors, in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
It is a matter of joy for all of us that last year nearly 70 per cent of the total procurement of the defence forces has been sourced from Indian manufacturers only.
Our defence forces have decided not to import over 500 defence items.
All these arms and defence related equipments are being procured only from Indian companies.
My Government has always given priority to the needs of the personnel in the armed forces.
That is why after 4 decades One Rank One Pension has been implemented.
Under this, Rupees 1,20,000 crore have been disbursed till date.
In the honour of our martyrs, the Government has also established the National War Memorial at one end of Kartavya Path.
These efforts are not only salutations from a grateful nation for its brave soldiers but also a source of constant inspiration of the ideal of Nation First.
This century is India’s century, and its impact will last for a thousand years to come.
Let us all together, with full devotion to our duties, get actively involved in fulfilling national resolutions and make India a developed nation.
Best wishes to all of you!
Thank You,
Jai Hind!
Jai Bharat!
(Text of ther address of the address by the Hon’ble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu to Parliament on June 27)
