CM blogs on Independence Day 2013 - Towards a better tomorrow!

Published By : Admin | August 14, 2013 | 22:45 IST

Towards a better tomorrow!

 

Dear Friends,

My heartfelt greetings and salutations to all of you on the special occasion of Independence Day. I would also like to convey my wishes to the Indian community settled all over the world on this historic day.

There are a large number of people today who have not seen the Freedom Struggle closely either because they were born after 1947 or they were too young during those times. I am one of them. But, when I hear the accounts of the courage shown by our freedom fighters, I am overcome by a sense of pride and responsibility. Today, we do not have the honour of dying to free our nation but we have the golden opportunity to live for it and to see it transformed in a manner that it fulfills the dreams of our forefathers. Today we pay our tributes to each and every one of these heroes who sacrificed their lives for the nation’s freedom with a resolve that their sacrifices for our motherland will not go in vain.

When I look at the recent events, however, a deep sense of pain overcomes me. Our brave soldiers have been repeatedly killed but our Government has not awakened from the deep slumber it has been in for the last 9 years. Our Armed Forces are our pride and no citizen of this country can accept the events happening in the last few months. It is indeed agonizing.

The state of our economy is no source of comfort either with the constantly rising prices. The Rupee is breaking its own records against the Dollar. Does all this help the poor or the neo middle class, who have high expectations for a better tomorrow? Does our youth have adequate jobs? This is truly a very turbulent phase in the history of our nation and the atmosphere is that of deep mistrust, gloom and pessimism. And in times like these, we need be to most vigilant against those who promised the moon but have been unable to deliver anything. Tokenism filled acts are not the solution to the problems we face - it is time for action!

For 65 years, there have been enough divisions that have bogged us down. It is time to rise above such divisions and reject forces inimical to progress of people, especially the poorest of the poor. As I had said at the public meeting in Hyderabad recently, a Government has only one religion and that is India First and it has only one holy book and that is the Indian Constitution! The only Bhakti it must be immersed in is Bharat Bhakti and Jan Shakti is the only Shakti it possesses. The sole ritual of the Government must be the well being of 125 crore Indians and the code of conduct must be ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’. That is when we will fulfill the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda and Sardar Patel.

Our work did not stop with attaining Swarajya on 15th August 1947. The more difficult part of our journey still remains and it is the attaining of Surajya. Let each of us become the torchbearers of a grand mass movement to bring Surajya. And as citizens of a vibrant and liberal democracy, the power of franchise is the strongest way towards commencing this movement to attain Surajya. This responsibility begins with Registering as voters.  I strongly urge my young friends to register themselves as voters and encourage atleast 10 others around them to register as voters as well be it their families, friends, neighbours etc. Let us ensure there is no university student who is not a registered voter! Infact, we should be as proud of being registered voters as we are of being citizens of this great nation.

I will end with a prayer for all the valiant Navy personnel we lost in the unfortunate tragedy on board INS Sindhurakshak. My deepest condolences to their families. May their souls rest in peace.

Once again, I convey my greetings on the occasion of Independence Day. May our country scale newer heights of progress in the years to come. I am also sharing a video of my Independence Day message and a video on the need for high voter registration.

 

Vande Mataram! Jai Hind.

 

 

Narendra Modi

 

Sharing a video for voter registration

 

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ডিজিটেল ইণ্ডিয়াৰ এটা দশক
July 01, 2025

Ten years ago, we embarked on a bold journey into uncharted territory with great conviction.

While decades were spent doubting the ability of Indians to use technology, we changed this approach and trusted the ability of Indians to use technology.

While decades were spent thinking that use of technology will deepen the gap between the haves and the have-nots, we changed this mindset and used technology to eliminate the gap between the haves and the have-nots.

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When the intent is right, innovation empowers the less empowered. When the approach is inclusive, technology brings change in the lives of those on the margins.

This belief laid the foundation for Digital India: a mission to democratise access, build inclusive digital infrastructure, and opportunities for all.

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In 2014, internet penetration was limited, digital literacy was low, and online access to government services was scarce. Many doubted whether a country as vast and diverse as India could truly go digital.

Today, that question has been answered not just in data and dashboards, but in the lives of 140 crore Indians. From how we govern, to how we learn, transact, and build, Digital India is everywhere.

Bridging the Digital Divide

In 2014, India had around 25 crore internet connections. Today, that number has grown to over 97 crores. Over 42 lakh kilometres of Optical Fibre Cable equivalent to 11 times the distance between Earth and the Moon now connects even the most remote villages.

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India’s 5G rollout is among the fastest in the world, with 4.81 lakh base stations installed in just two years. High-speed internet now reaches urban hubs and forward military posts alike including Galwan, Siachen, and Ladakh.

India Stack, which is our digital backbone, has enabled platforms like UPI, which now handles 100+ billion transactions a year. Around half of all real time digital transactions happen in India.

Through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), over ₹44 lakh crore has been transferred directly to citizens, cutting out middlemen and saving ₹3.48 lakh crore in leakages.

Schemes like SVAMITVA have issued 2.4 crore+ property cards and mapped 6.47 lakh villages, ending years of land-related uncertainty.

Democratising Opportunity for All

India’s digital economy is empowering MSMEs and small entrepreneurs like never before.

ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) is a revolutionary platform which opens a new window of opportunities by providing a seamless connection with huge market of buyers and sellers.

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GeM (Government E-Marketplace) enables the common man to sell goods and services to all arms of the government. This not only empowers the common man with a huge market but also saves money for the Government.

Imagine this: You apply for a Mudra loan online. Your creditworthiness is assessed through an account aggregator framework. You get your loan and start your venture. You register on GeM, supply to schools and hospitals, and then scale up via ONDC.

ONDC recently crossed 200 million transactions, with the last 100 million in just six months. From Banarasi weavers to bamboo artisans in Nagaland, sellers are now reaching customers nationwide, without middlemen or digital monopolies.

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GeM has also crossed ₹1 lakh crore GMV in 50 days, with 22 lakh sellers including 1.8 lakh+ women-led MSMEs, who have fulfilled orders worth ₹46,000 crore.

Digital Public Infrastructure: India’s Global Offering

India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) from Aadhaar, CoWIN, DigiLocker, and FASTag to PM-WANI and One Nation One Subscription is now studied and adopted globally.

CoWIN enabled the world’s largest vaccination drive, issuing 220 crore QR-verifiable certificates. DigiLocker, with 54 crore users, hosts 775 crore+ documents, securely and seamlessly.

Through our G20 Presidency, India launched the Global DPI Repository and a $25 million Social Impact Fund, helping nations across Africa and South Asia adopt inclusive digital ecosystems.

Startup Power Meets AatmaNirbhar Bharat

India now ranks among the top 3 startup ecosystems in the world, with over 1.8 lakh startups. But this is more than a startup movement, it is a tech renaissance.

India is doing extremely well when it comes to AI skill penetration and AI talent concentration among our youth.

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Through the $1.2 billion India AI Mission, India has enabled access to 34,000 GPUs at globally unmatched prices at less than $1/GPU hour making India not just the most affordable internet economy, but also the most affordable compute destination.

India has championed humanity-first AI. The New Delhi Declaration on AI promotes innovation with responsibility. We are establishing AI Centres of Excellence across the country.

The Road Ahead

The next decade will be even more transformative. We are moving from digital governance to global digital leadership, from India-first to India-for-the-world.

Digital India has not remained a mere government program, it has become a people’s movement. It is central to building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and to making India a trusted innovation partner to the world.

To all innovators, entrepreneurs, and dreamers: the world is looking at India for the next digital breakthrough.

Let us build what empowers.

Let us solve what truly matters.

Let us lead with technology that unites, includes, and uplifts.