PM's address to the nation on 15th August

Published By : Admin | August 15, 2014 | 11:34 IST
""An occasion to build national character""

Series of initiatives announced

  1. Pradhanmantri Jan-Dhan Yojana to provide for a bank account, a debit card and an insurance amount of Rs. one lakh, for the poor
  2. Digital Infrastructure a priority to empower Indians
  3. Swachh Bharat initiative to be launched on October 2nd
  4. Toilets in all schools within a year
  5. Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana to be launched
  6. New institution to replace Planning Commission
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Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today called upon all citizens to contribute to the cause of building national character. Addressing the nation for the first time from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 68th Independence Day, he said, it is an occasion for introspection for all, as to how his or her acts would weigh on the scale of National Interest. Let all actions be in the National Interest, and be seen as a contribution towards nation building, the Prime Minister said.

 Greeting the people of India on Independence Day, Shri Narendra Modi stated that he was addressing them not as "Pradhan Mantri" but as "Pradhan Sewak" – the first servant.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a series of initiatives aimed at empowering the common man, and unleashing the potential of India's youth.

In a major new scheme to universalize banking access and financial inclusion, the Prime Minister announced the Pradhanmantri Jan-Dhan Yojana which will provide for a bank account, a debit card and an insurance amount of Rs. one lakh, to poor families.

 A nationwide "Skill India" movement will be initiated to provide skills which ensure employability.

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 The Prime Minister also announced a vision of "Come and Make in India" inviting manufacturers from across the world to invest in India, and help boost India's industrial growth. He called upon the youth of India to unleash their entrepreneurial spirit and work towards manufacturing in India, the various items that add to our import bill. Let "Made in India" become a synonym of excellence, he added.

 Emphasizing that digital infrastructure is a priority to empower the citizens, Shri Narendra Modi announced his Government's resolve to work towards Digital India, which would provide information and services to the people in a timely and effective manner.

 Stressing on the need for cleanliness, the Prime Minister announced his Government's resolve for "Swachh Bharat" – a vision which will be launched on October 2nd this year, to be accomplished by 2019, on the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. In a related initiative, the Prime Minister said the first step towards "Swachh Bharat" begins with immediate effect, through a commitment to build toilets in all schools, including separate toilets for girls, within one year.

 The Prime Minister announced the launch of the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, under which each Member of Parliament would be invited to make one model village in his constituency, by 2016. He said a complete blueprint for this scheme would be announced on October 11th, the birth anniversary of Shri Jayaprakash Narayan.

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 Shri Narendra Modi announced that a new institution would be created to replace the Planning Commission. This new institution would respect the federal structure of the country, he asserted.

 Thanking all Members of Parliament, including the Opposition Parties for a productive session of Parliament, the Prime Minister said his Government wished to move forward by consensus.

 Referring to reports of the positive change in work culture of the Union Government since he took over as Prime Minister, the Prime Minister said he was taken aback by such news reports – since it should be the norm for Government Servants to work with due diligence. The Prime Minister said the fact that this should make news, shows how low our collective standards of duty and responsibility have fallen. The Prime Minister called upon society to give up the selfish attitude of 
"Mera Kya, Mujhe Kya."

 The Prime Minister also said he was appalled by the discord and disunity among various Government departments that he saw after assuming office. He assured the people that he would resolve this issue, so that the Government of India worked not as an assembled entity, but as an organic entity. The Prime Minister said development and good governance were the only two tracks which could take the nation forward.

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 The Prime Minister expressed dismay at the rising number of rape incidents in the country. Pointing out that daughters are asked a lot of questions in a family, he called upon parents to question their sons also, and keep a tab on their activities. Every rapist is someone's son, the Prime Minister said. In a similar vein, he called upon misguided youth who had taken to terrorism or Maoism, to give up violence and return to the national mainstream.

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 The Prime Minister quoted Shri Aurobindo and Swami Vivekananda, reflecting on their vision to see India as a 
"Jagatguru" once again, and called upon all Indians to help convert this vision into reality.

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PM chairs Fifth National Conference of Chief Secretaries in Delhi
December 28, 2025
Viksit Bharat is synonymous with quality and excellence in governance, delivery and manufacturing: PM
PM says India has boarded the ‘Reform Express’, powered by the strength of its youth
PM highlights that India's demographic advantage can significantly accelerate the journey towards Viksit Bharat
‘Made in India’ must become a symbol of global excellence and competitiveness: PM
PM emphasises the need to strengthen Aatmanirbharta and strengthen our commitment to 'Zero Effect, Zero Defect’
PM suggests identifying 100 products for domestic manufacturing to reduce import dependence and strengthen economic resilience
PM urges every State must to give top priority to soon to be launched National Manufacturing Mission
PM calls upon states to encourage manufacturing, boost ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and make India a Global Services Giant
PM emphasises on shifting to high value agriculture to make India the food basket of the world
PM directs States to prepare roadmap for creating a global level tourism destination

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries in Delhi, earlier today. The three-day Conference was held in Pusa, Delhi from 26 to 28 December, 2025.

Prime Minister observed that this conference marks another decisive step in strengthening the spirit of cooperative federalism and deepening Centre-State partnership to achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Prime Minister emphasised that Human Capital comprising knowledge, skills, health and capabilities is the fundamental driver of economic growth and social progress and must be developed through a coordinated Whole-of-Government approach.

The Conference included discussions around the overarching theme of ‘Human Capital for Viksit Bharat’. Highlighting India's demographic advantage, the Prime Minister stated that nearly 70 percent of the population is in the working-age group, creating a unique historical opportunity which, when combined with economic progress, can significantly accelerate India's journey towards Viksit Bharat.

Prime Minister said that India has boarded the “Reform Express”, driven primarily by the strength of its young population, and empowering this demographic remains the government’s key priority. Prime Minister noted that the Conference is being held at a time when the country is witnessing next-generation reforms and moving steadily towards becoming a major global economic power.

He further observed that Viksit Bharat is synonymous with quality and excellence and urged all stakeholders to move beyond average outcomes. Emphasising quality in governance, service delivery and manufacturing, the Prime Minister stated that the label "Made in India' must become a symbol of excellence and global competitiveness.

Prime Minister emphasised the need to strengthen Aatmanirbharta, stating that India must pursue self-reliance with zero defect in products and minimal environmental impact, making the label 'Made in India' synonymous with quality and strengthen our commitment to 'Zero Effect, Zero Defect.’ He urged the Centre and States to jointly identify 100 products for domestic manufacturing to reduce import dependence and strengthen economic resilience in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Prime Minister emphasised the need to map skill demand at the State and global levels to better design skill development strategies. In higher education too, he suggested that there is a need for academia and industry to work together to create high quality talent.

For livelihoods of youth, Prime Minister observed that tourism can play a huge role. He highlighted that India has a rich heritage and history with a potential to be among the top global tourist destinations. He urged the States to prepare a roadmap for creating at least one global level tourist destination and nourishing an entire tourist ecosystem.

PM Modi said that it is important to align the Indian national sports calendar with the global sports calendar. India is working to host the 2036 Olympics. India needs to prepare infrastructure and sports ecosystem at par with global standards. He observed that young kids should be identified, nurtured and trained to compete at that time. He urged the States that the next 10 years must be invested in them, only then will India get desired results in such sports events. Organising and promoting sports events and tournaments at local and district level and keeping data of players will create a vibrant sports environment.

PM Modi said that soon India would be launching the National Manufacturing Mission (NMM). Every State must give this top priority and create infrastructure to attract global companies. He further said that it included Ease of Doing Business, especially with respect to land, utilities and social infrastructure. He also called upon states to encourage manufacturing, boost ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and strengthen the services sector. In the services sector, PM Modi said that there should be greater emphasis on other areas like Healthcare, education, transport, tourism, professional services, AI, etc. to make India a Global Services Giant.

Prime Minister also emphasized that as India aspires to be the food basket of the world, we need to shift to high value agriculture, dairy, fisheries, with a focus on exports. He pointed out that the PM Dhan Dhanya Scheme has identified 100 districts with lower productivity. Similarly, in learning outcomes States must identify the lowest 100 districts and must work on addressing the issues around the low indicators.

PM also urged the States to use Gyan Bharatam Mission for digitization of manuscripts. He said that States may start a Abhiyan to digitize such manuscripts available in States. Once these manuscripts are digitized, Al can be used for synthesizing the wisdom and knowledge available.

Prime Minister noted that the Conference reflects India’s tradition of collective thinking and constructive policy dialogue, and that the Chief Secretaries Conference, institutionalised by the Government of India, has become an effective platform for collective deliberation.

Prime Minister emphasised that States should work in tandem with the discussions and decisions emerging from both the Chief Secretaries and the DGPs Conferences to strengthen governance and implementation.

Prime Minister suggested that similar conferences could be replicated at the departmental level to promote a national perspective among officers and improve governance outcomes in pursuit of Viksit Bharat.

Prime Minister also said that all States and UTs must prepare capacity building plan along with the Capacity Building Commission. He said that use of Al in governance and awareness on cyber security is need of the hour. States and Centre have to put emphasis on cyber security for the security of every citizen.

Prime Minister said that the technology can provide secure and stable solutions through our entire life cycle. There is a need to utilise technology to bring about quality in governance.

In the conclusion, Prime Minister said that every State must create 10-year actionable plans based on the discussions of this Conference with 1, 2, 5 and 10 year target timelines wherein technology can be utilised for regular monitoring.

The three-day Conference emphasised on special themes which included Early Childhood Education; Schooling; Skilling; Higher Education; and Sports and Extracurricular Activities recognising their role in building a resilient, inclusive and future-ready workforce.

Discussion during the Conference

The discussions during the Conference reflected the spirit of Team India, where the Centre and States came together with a shared commitment to transform ideas into action. The deliberations emphasised the importance of ensuring time-bound implementation of agreed outcomes so that the vision of Viksit Bharat translates into tangible improvements in citizens’ lives. The sessions provided a comprehensive assessment of the current situation, key challenges and possible solutions across priority areas related to human capital development.

The Conference also facilitated focused deliberations over meals on Heritage & Manuscript Preservation and Digitisation; and Ayush for All with emphasis on integrating knowledge in primary healthcare delivery.

The deliberations also emphasised the importance of effective delivery, citizen-centric governance and outcome-oriented implementation to ensure that development initiatives translate into measurable on-ground impact. The discussions highlighted the need to strengthen institutional capacity, improve inter-departmental coordination and adopt data-driven monitoring frameworks to enhance service delivery. Focus was placed on simplifying processes, leveraging technology and ensuring last-mile reach so that benefits of development reach every citizen in a timely, transparent and inclusive manner, in alignment with the vision of Viksit Bharat.

The Conference featured a series of special sessions that enabled focused deliberations on cross-cutting and emerging priorities. These sessions examined policy pathways and best practices on Deregulation in States, Technology in Governance: Opportunities, Risks & Mitigation; AgriStack for Smart Supply Chain & Market Linkages; One State, One World Class Tourist Destination; Aatmanirbhar Bharat & Swadeshi; and Plans for a post-Left Wing Extremism future. The discussions highlighted the importance of cooperative federalism, replication of successful State-level initiatives and time-bound implementation to translate deliberations into measurable outcomes.

The Conference was attended by Chief Secretaries, senior officials of all States/Union Territories, domain experts and senior officers in the centre.