Tamil Nadu is chess powerhouse of India: PM Modi

Published By : Admin | July 29, 2022 | 09:10 IST
Chess Olympiad is being hosted in India for the first time; India is fielding its biggest ever contingent in the Competition
“The most prestigious tournament in chess has come to India, the home of chess”
“44th Chess Olympiad is a tournament of many firsts and records”
“Tamil Nadu is chess powerhouse for India”
“Tamil Nadu is home to the finest minds, vibrant culture and the oldest language in the world, Tamil”
“There has never been a better time for sports in India than the present”
“India’s sporting culture is becoming stronger due to the perfect mix of the energy of youth and the enabling environment”
“ In sports, there are no losers. There are winners and there are future winners”

Good evening Chennai! Vanakkam! Namaste!

Governor of Tamil Nadu, Shri R. N. Ravi ji, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Shri M.K.Stalin ji, Ministers and dignitaries, FIDE President Mr. Arkady Dvorkovich ji, All the chess players and teams participating in this tournament, Chess lovers from all over the world, Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you all to the 44th Chess Olympiad being held in India. The most prestigious tournament in chess has come to India, the home of chess. This tournament is here at a special time in India’s history. This is the year we are marking 75 years of freedom from colonial rule. it is our Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav It is an honour to have you here at such an important time for our country.

Friends,

I would like to applaud the organisers of this tournament. In a very short period of time, they have made outstanding arrangements. We in India believe in ‘अतिथि देवो भव’, which means, ‘A guest is like God’. Thousands of years ago, Saint Thiruvalluvar said: इरुन-दोम्बी इलवाड़-वदेल्लाम् विरून-दोम्बी वेड़ाणमई सेय्दर् पोरुट्टु | It means, the whole purpose of earning a living and having a home is to be hospitable. We will make every effort to make you feel comfortable. We will help you bring your best game to the board.

Friends,

The 44th Chess Olympiad has been a tournament of many firsts and records. This is the first time the Chess Olympiad is being held in the place of origin of chess, India. It is coming to Asia for the first time in 3 decades. It has the highest ever number of countries participating. It has the highest ever number of teams participating. It has the highest number of entries in the women’s section. The first ever Torch Relay of the Chess Olympiad started this time. This Chess Olympiad will be in our memories forever.

Friends,

Since it is 75 years of our freedom, the Torch Relay for the Chess Olympiad travelled to 75 iconic locations. Its over twenty-seven thousand kilometre journey has ignited the minds of youngsters and motivated them to take up Chess. It is also a matter of pride that the torch relay for the Chess Olympiad will always start from India in the future. On behalf of every Indian, I extend my thanks to FIDE for this gesture.

Friends,

The place at which this Chess Olympiad is happening is most fitting. There are many temples in Tamil Nadu with beautiful sculptures that represent different sports. Sport has always been considered divine in our culture. In fact, in Tamil Nadu, you will find the temple of Chaturanga Vallabhanathar. This temple at Thirupoovanur has an interesting story related to chess. Even God played a game of chess with a princess! Naturally, Tamil Nadu has a strong historical connection with chess. This is why it is a chess powerhouse for India. It has produced many of India’s chess grandmasters. It is home to the finest minds, vibrant culture and the oldest language in the world, Tamil. I hope you get the opportunity to discover Chennai, Mahabalipuram and nearby areas.

Friends,

Sports is beautiful because it has the inherent power to unite. Sports brings people and societies closer. Sports nurtures a spirit of teamwork. Two years ago the world began to fight the biggest pandemic seen in a century. For a long time, life came to a standstill. In such times, it was various sports tournaments which brought the world together. Each tournament gave the important message - we are stronger when together. We are better when together. I am seeing the same spirit here. The post-COVID period has made us realise the importance of fitness and wellness, both physical and mental. That is why it is important to encourage sporting talent and invest in sporting infrastructure.

Friends,

I am glad to share that there has never been a better time for sports in India than the present. India had its best-ever performances in the Olympics, Paralympics and Deaflympics. We achieved glory even in sports where we had not won earlier. Today, sports is seen as a great profession of choice. India’s sporting culture is becoming stronger due to the perfect mix of two important factors. Energy of youth and enabling environment. Our talented youngsters, especially from small towns and villages, are bringing glory. It is heartening to see women at the lead of India’s sports revolution. The administrative framework, incentive structures and infrastructure have been revolutionized.

Friends,

Today is a good day for international sports. We have the 44th Chess Olympiad starting here in India. In the U.K, the 22nd Commonwealth Games will begin today. Thousands of athletes from many parts of the world are keen to make their nations proud. I wish them all the best!

Friends,

In sports, there are no losers. There are winners and there are future winners. I wish all the teams and players gathered here the very best for the 44th Chess Olympiad. I hope you form great memories of India and treasure them in the times to come. India will always welcome you with open arms. All the best! Now, I declare the 44th Chess Olympiad open! May the games begin!

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78ನೇ ಸ್ವಾತಂತ್ರ್ಯ ದಿನಾಚರಣೆಯ ಸಂದರ್ಭದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಂಪು ಕೋಟೆಯಿಂದ ಪ್ರಧಾನಮಂತ್ರಿ ಶ್ರೀ ನರೇಂದ್ರ ಮೋದಿ ಅವರು ಮಾಡಿದ ಭಾಷಣದ ಕನ್ನಡ ಅನುವಾದ
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Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) Our own Space Station for Scientific research to be established with the launch of its first module in 2028
September 18, 2024
Cabinet approved Gaganyaan Follow-on Missions and building of Bharatiya Antariksh Station: Gaganyaan – Indian Human Spaceflight Programme revised to include building of first unit of BAS and related missions
Human space flight program to continue with more missions to space station and beyond

The union cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the building of first unit of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station by extending the scope of Gaganyaan program. Approval by the cabinet is given for development of first module of Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS-1) and undertake missions to demonstrate and validate various technologies for building and operating BAS. To revise the scope & funding of the Gaganyaan Programme to include new developments for BAS & precursor missions, and additional requirements to meet the ongoing Gaganyaan Programme.

Revision in Gaganyaan Programme to include the scope of development and precursor missions for BAS, and factoring one additional uncrewed mission and additional hardware requirement for the developments of ongoing Gaganyaan Programme. Now the human spaceflight program of technology development and demonstration is through eight missions to be completed by December 2028 by launching first unit of BAS-1.

The Gaganyaan Programme approved in December 2018 envisages undertaking the human spaceflight to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and to lay the foundation of technologies needed for an Indian human space exploration programme in the long run. The vision for space in the Amrit kaal envisages including other things, creation of an operational Bharatiya Antariksh Station by 2035 and Indian Crewed Lunar Mission by 2040. All leading space faring nations are making considerable efforts & investments to develop & operationalize capabilities that are required for long duration human space missions and further exploration to Moon and beyond.

Gaganyaan Programme will be a national effort led by ISRO in collaboration with Industry, Academia and other National agencies as stake holders. The programme will be implemented through the established project management mechanism within ISRO. The target is to develop and demonstrate critical technologies for long duration human space missions. To achieve this goal, ISRO will undertake four missions under ongoing Gaganyaan Programme by 2026 and development of first module of BAS & four missions for demonstration & validation of various technologies for BAS by December, 2028.

The nation will acquire essential technological capabilities for human space missions to Low Earth Orbit. A national space-based facility such as the Bharatiya Antariksh Station will boost microgravity based scientific research & technology development activities. This will lead to technological spin-offs and encourage innovations in key areas of research and development. Enhanced industrial participation and economic activity in human space programme will result in increased employment generation, especially in niche high technology areas in space and allied sectors.

With a net additional funding of ₹11170 Crore in the already approved programme, the total funding for Gaganyaan Programme with the revised scope has been enhanced to ₹20193 Crore.

This programme will provide a unique opportunity, especially for the youth of the country to take up careers in the field of science and technology as well as pursue opportunities in microgravity based scientific research & technology development activities. The resulting innovations and technological spin-offs will be benefitting the society at large.