Sisters and Brothers of Varanasi,

For thousands of years, the ancient city of Varanasi has been a symbol of knowledge, education and culture. Varanasi is the city of Lord Shiva; he who is a linking-bridge between various cultures;he who drank poison himself to save the World from evils& is known as Neelkanth. Today, the eyes of entire nation are set on Varanasi & the reason of it is also the Shiv Swarup of Varanasi that can not only drink poison to save the society but also play Damrooto save the people from those who push the country into the pit of despair.

Varanasi shall set in motion the wheels of change that will take India on the path of good governance.

It is believed that it is in this Varanasi where Maa Ganga’s beauty and virtuesreach that highest level of piousness that even looking at the Ganges becomes a source of salvation for a person. But, today this revered Maa Ganga is struggling for its own identity. Even after spending thousands of crores of rupees, the condition of the polluted Ganges is the same. River Ganga is a symbol of prestige for Varanasi city & to revive that prestige, the need is of extensive efforts.

Varanasi is the biggest centre point of Ganga-Jamuna culture.Varanasi is not only regarded as the most pious city of the Hindu culture, but it also holds vital importance in Jainism and Buddhism.Gautam Buddha had delivered his first sermon here at Sarnath. It was in Varanasi only where the “Shehnaai” of Bharat Ratna Bismillah Khan kept echoing of the Hindu-Muslim “UNITY”. These are the reasons why Varanasi, today is the biggest centre of spiritual knowledge in the World.

New Delhi is the Political Capital of India and Mumbai is the Financial Capital of the Nation. On this line, I wish that Varanasi city becomes the Intellectual Capital of the country. My party and I will leave no stone unturned to make this a reality. We would want to develop Kashi in a way that will make it the centre of cultural and intellectual activities &where the stream of knowledge would continuously flow.

Here, there are world famous educational institutions such as The Banaras Hindu University, The Sampurnanand Sanskrit University and The Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidhyapeeth. These institutions require constant care and up-gradation because they are not only an identity to the Banaras city, but also because they are important to ignite thelight of knowledge in the entire Purvanchal, including Bhojpuri region.

Banaras city is a huge centre of tourist attraction and is also world-renowned for its handicrafts and arts. Despite that, the local youth are left unemployed. There was a time when Banarasi Paan and Banarasi Saree were the biggest trend of the market. Thousands of people involved in them got employment but today, these both specialities are fighting for theirsurvival. In these many years, we could not create a new brand for Banaras and the old ones are also losing their sheen.

The need of the hour is that we restore the rich heritage of Varanasi. The Cottage, Handicrafts & Handloom industries in Varanasi must be revived.Employment has to be generated locally. By doing this, we would not only be providing employment to the thousands of residents of Varanasi near their homes but also bring back the lost prestige of the city.

However, all this would not be complete without better civic amenities. Today, Banaras is suffering because of poor roads, violence, traffic-jams, and short supply of electricity and water. A big reason for these problems is the ignore attitude of the central and state governments. The interference of Mafias and Thekedars (Licence holders) in the government departments is also one of the reasons. I promise that from Centre to Banaras, the domination of Mafias involved in looting the public funds will be entirely eliminated.

The crucial moment for the 16th Lok Sabha poll has arrived. You would remember that during the end of the 20th century, the think-tank and philosophers around the world pronounced that the 21st century will belong to India. And in the beginning of this century, under the governance of the BJP led NDA government,this future-statement was appearing to be taking shape. The World was looking at the India with an eye of hope!There was tremendous enthusiasm among the youth & every family had a success story to tell of their children. But a decade of misgovernance of UPA, instead of taking the country ahead, pushed India decades back & left the story of the prospering India incomplete.

Friends, the time has come that we bring a change! It is said that the image of country’s politics reflects in Varanasi, so let us begin from here.

Varanasi is the only place from where the revered Ganga is Uttar Vahini (flows towards North). It is here from where the powerful stream of the river Ganga turns directions. Thus, the start of the biggest change will also happen from Varanasi. The country will again move towards GOOD GOVERNANCE and this message initiated from the Varanasi will light a NEW HOPE in the entire country.

With this belief...

Yours Truly

Narendra Modi

To read the Blog in Hindi, click here

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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.