Time for expansionism is over, this is the era of development: PM Modi

Published By : Admin | July 3, 2020 | 14:37 IST
I pay my tributes to the martyred soldiers in the Galwan valley: PM Narendra Modi
Through display of your bravery, a message has gone to the world about India’s strength: PM Modi
Your courage is higher than the heights where you are posted today: PM Modi

Bharat Mata ki Jai!
Bharat Mata ki Jai!

Friends, your courage, valour, and dedication to protect Mother India's honour are incomparable. Your spirit is unparallel in the world. The difficult conditions and the height in which you work as a shield to protect and serve the motherland, no one can beat that!

Your courage is greater than the heights where you are posted. Your determination is stronger than the valley you walk on daily. Your arms are as strong as the rocks around you. Your willpower is as strong as the surrounding mountains. I can feel it being present amidst you today. I can see it with my own eyes!

Friends,

The responsibility of the country's safety and protection is in your hands and your strong determination, so there is an unwavering confidence. Not just me, the whole nation reposes an unwavering confidence and the country is reassured. Your presence on the border motivates every countryman to work day and night for the country. The resolve of self-reliant India becomes stronger because of you, your sacrifice and efforts. And now you and your friends with their bravery have given out the message to the whole world about India's strength.

Right now I can also see women soldiers in front of me. In the battlefield, this scene on the border in itself is a source of inspiration.

Friends, the national poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar ji wrote-

जिनके सिंहनाद से सहमी। धरती रही अभी तक डोल।।

कलम, आज उनकी जय बोल। कलम आज उनकी जय बोल।।

So, today I salute you and hail you with my words! I once again pay tributes to my brave soldiers who were martyred in Galwan Valley. Heroes from every corner of the country i.e. from the east, the west, the north, and the south, have shown their valour. This land is still hailing them for their valour. Today every Indian is bowing down before you and saluting the brave soldiers of the country. Today, every Indian is proud of your bravery and valour.

Friends,

This land has become auspicious due to the blessings of the Indus. This land has assimilated within it the stories of bravery and valour of the brave sons. From Leh-Ladakh to Kargil and Siachen, from the snowy peaks of Rezang La to the cold water stream of Galwan valley, every peak, every mountain, every corner, every pebble is a testimony to the might of the Indian soldiers. Everyone knows about the stories of valour of the 14 Corps. The world has seen your indomitable courage. Your heroic stories are echoing from house to house and the enemies of Mother India have seen your fire and your fury as well.

Friends,

The entire Ladakh, the crown of India, is a symbol of respect for 130 crore Indians. This land is the land of the patriots who are always ready to sacrifice for India. This soil has produced great patriots like Kushok Bakula Rinponche. It was Rinponche ji who had mobilized the local people against the nefarious designs of the enemy. Every conspiracy to create secession here has been foiled by the patriotic people of Ladakh led by Rinpoche. As a result of his inspiring efforts, the country and the Indian Army were inspired to create an infantry regiment called Ladakh Scout. Today, the people of Ladakh are making wonderful contributions to strengthen the nation at every level - be it in the army or while performing the duties of ordinary citizens.

Friends, there is a saying-

खड्गेन आक्रम्य वंदिता आक्रमण: पुणिया, वीर भोग्य वसुंधरा

That is, a brave-heart protects the motherland with the power of his weapons. This land is for the brave. Our support, strength and resolve for its defence and security are as high as the Himalayas. I can see this ability and resolve in your eyes right now. It is clearly visible on your faces. You are the heroes of the same land that has repulsed the attacks and atrocities of many invaders for thousands of years. This is our identity. We are the people who worship Lord Krishna who plays flute. We are also the same people who follow Sudarshan Chakradhari Krishna as an ideal. With this inspiration, India has emerged stronger after every attack.

Friends,

Everyone believes that peace and friendship are important for the progress of the nation, the world and humanity. But we also know that the weak can never bring peace. The weak cannot initiate peace. Bravery is the precondition for peace. If India is growing its power at all levels i.e. water, land, sky and space, then the goal behind it is human welfare. India is manufacturing modern weapons today and getting all modern technologies for the Indian Army; and this is the spirit behind it. If India is building modern infrastructure at a fast pace, then the message behind it is the same.

Whether it is a world war or a peace keeping effort - the world has seen the valour of our heroes and their efforts for world peace whenever needed. We have always worked for the protection of humanity. All of you are the leaders who have established this goal, tradition and this glorious culture of India.

Friends, the great Saint Thiruvalluvar Ji had said hundreds of years ago-

मरमानम मांड वडिच्चेलव् तेट्रम
येना नान्गे येमम पडईक्कु

That is, valour, honour, the tradition of dignified behaviour and credibility are the four qualities that are the reflections of an army of any country. Indian forces have always followed this path.

Friends, the era of colonial expansion is over; this is the era of evolution. Evolution is only relevant in rapidly changing times. It is an opportunity for development and development is also the basis for the future. In the previous centuries expansionism has done the greatest harm to humanity and has tried to destroy humanity. The obsession with expansion has always posed a threat to world peace.

And friends, let's not forget, history is a witness to the fact that such forces have been erased or have forced to relent. The world has always had this experience and on the basis of this experience, the whole world now has made up its mind against the policy of expansion. Today the world is devoted to development and is welcoming the open competition for development.

Friends,

Whenever I think of a decision related to the defence of the nation, I first remember two mothers - firstly Mother India, and secondly those brave mothers who have given birth to mighty warriors like you. This is the criterion of my decision. Following this criterion, the nation gives the highest priority to your honour, the honour of your families and the safety of Mother India.

We have been paying a lot of attention to all the modern weapons for the armies or the equipment needed by you. Now the expenditure on border infrastructure in the country has been almost tripled. This has also led to the development of border area and construction of roads and bridges along the border at a rapid pace. One of the biggest benefits of this is that now the goods reach you in a short time.

Friends,

For better coordination in the armed forces, which had long been expected - be it the formation of the post of Chief of Defence or the creation of the National War Memorial or the decision of One Rank One Pension or the continuous work for the right arrangements ranging from the care of your family to education, the country has been strengthening its forces and soldiers at every level today.

Friends, Lord Gautam Buddha has said-

Courage is about commitment and conviction. Courage is compassion. Courage is what teaches us to stand boldly and steadfast for the truth. Courage is what gives us the strength to say and do what is right.

Friends,

The indomitable courage shown by the valiant sons of the country in the Galwan valley is the depiction of utmost might. The country is proud of you. Along with you, our ITBP personnel, BSF partners, BRO and other organizations, engineers and other workers are working under difficult conditions. You all are doing an amazing job! Everyone together is dedicated to protecting and serving Mother India.

Today, the country is fighting many disasters simultaneously and with great persistence due to your hard work. Seeking inspiration from all of you, let us together keep conquering every challenge, the most difficult challenges. All of you are protecting the country at the borders. We will together build the India of our dreams. We will build the India of your dreams. I have come to assure you today that the 130 crore countrymen will not stay behind. We will create a strong and a self-reliant India and we will do so! And after getting inspired by you, the resolve of a self-reliant India becomes even more powerful.

I once again congratulate all of you from the bottom of my heart, thank you very much! Say aloud with me-

Bharat Mata ki Jai!

Bharat Mata ki Jai!

Vande Mataram - Vande Mataram - Vande Mataram!!

Thank you!

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Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired the 50th meeting of PRAGATI - the ICT-enabled multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation - earlier today, marking a significant milestone in a decade-long journey of cooperative, outcome-driven governance under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The milestone underscores how technology-enabled leadership, real-time monitoring and sustained Centre-State collaboration have translated national priorities into measurable outcomes on the ground.

Review undertaken in 50th PRAGATI

During the meeting, Prime Minister reviewed five critical infrastructure projects across sectors, including Road, Railways, Power, Water Resources, and Coal. These projects span 5 States, with a cumulative cost of more than ₹40,000 crore.

During a review of PM SHRI scheme, Prime Minister emphasized that the PM SHRI scheme must become a national benchmark for holistic and future ready school education and said that implementation should be outcome oriented rather than infrastructure centric. He asked all the Chief Secretaries to closely monitor the PM SHRI scheme. He further emphasized that efforts must be made for making PM SHRI schools benchmark for other schools of state government. He also suggested that Senior officers of the government should undertake field visits to evaluate the performance of PM SHRI schools.

On this special occasion, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi described the milestone as a symbol of the deep transformation India has witnessed in the culture of governance over the last decade. Prime Minister underlined that when decisions are timely, coordination is effective, and accountability is fixed, the speed of government functioning naturally increases and its impact becomes visible directly in citizens’ lives.

Genesis of PRAGATI

Recalling the origin of the approach, the Prime Minister said that as Chief Minister of Gujarat he had launched the technology-enabled SWAGAT platform (State Wide Attention on Grievances by Application of Technology) to understand and resolve public grievances with discipline, transparency, and time-bound action.

Building on that experience, after assuming office at the Centre, he expanded the same spirit nationally through PRAGATI bringing large projects, major programmes and grievance redressal onto one integrated platform for review, resolution, and follow-up.

Scale and Impact

Prime Minister noted that over the years the PRAGATI led ecosystem has helped accelerate projects worth more than 85 lakh crore rupees and supported the on-ground implementation of major welfare programmes at scale.

Since 2014, 377 projects have been reviewed under PRAGATI, and across these projects, 2,958 out of 3,162 identified issues - i.e. around 94 percent - have been resolved, significantly reducing delays, cost overruns and coordination failures.

Prime Minister said that as India moves at a faster pace, the relevance of PRAGATI has grown further. He noted that PRAGATI is essential to sustain reform momentum and ensure delivery.

Unlocking Long-Pending Projects

Prime Minister said that since 2014, the government has worked to institutionalise delivery and accountability creating a system where work is pursued with consistent follow-up and completed within timelines and budgets. He said projects that were started earlier but left incomplete or forgotten have been revived and completed in national interest.

Several projects that had remained stalled for decades were completed or decisively unlocked after being taken up under the PRAGATI platform. These include the Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge in Assam, first conceived in 1997; the Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link, where work began in 1995; the Navi Mumbai International Airport, conceptualised in 1997; the modernisation and expansion of the Bhilai Steel Plant, approved in 2007; and the Gadarwara and LARA Super Thermal Power Projects, sanctioned in 2008 and 2009 respectively. These outcomes demonstrate the impact of sustained high-level monitoring and inter-governmental coordination.

From silos to Team India

Prime Minister pointed out that projects do not fail due to lack of intent alone—many fail due to lack of coordination and silo-based functioning. He said PRAGATI has helped address this by bringing all stakeholders onto one platform, aligned to one shared outcome.

He described PRAGATI as an effective model of cooperative federalism, where the Centre and States work as one team, and ministries and departments look beyond silos to solve problems. Prime Minister said that since its inception, around 500 Secretaries of Government of India and Chief Secretaries of States have participated in PRAGATI meetings. He thanked them for their participation, commitment, and ground-level understanding, which has helped PRAGATI evolve from a review forum into a genuine problem-solving platform.

Prime Minister said that the government has ensured adequate resources for national priorities, with sustained investments across sectors. He called upon every Ministry and State to strengthen the entire chain from planning to execution, minimise delays from tendering to ground delivery.

Reform, Perform, Transform

On the occasion, the Prime Minister shared clear expectations for the next phase, outlining his vision of Reform, Perform and Transform saying “Reform to simplify, Perform to deliver, Transform to impact.”

He said Reform must mean moving from process to solutions, simplifying procedures and making systems more friendly for Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business.

He said Perform must mean to focus equally on time, cost, and quality. He added that outcome-driven governance has strengthened through PRAGATI and must now go deeper.

He further said that Transform must be measured by what citizens actually feel about timely services, faster grievance resolution, and improved ease of living.

PRAGATI and the journey to Viksit Bharat @ 2047

Prime Minister said Viksit Bharat @ 2047 is both a national resolve and a time-bound target, and PRAGATI is a powerful accelerator to achieve it. He encouraged States to institutionalise similar PRAGATI-like mechanisms especially for the social sector at the level of Chief Secretary.

To take PRAGATI to the next level, Prime Minister emphasised the use of technology in each and every phase of the project life cycle.

Prime Minister concluded by stating that PRAGATI@50 is not merely a milestone it is a commitment. PRAGATI must be strengthened further in the years ahead to ensure faster execution, higher quality, and measurable outcomes for citizens.

Presentation by Cabinet Secretary

On the occasion of the 50th PRAGATI milestone, the Cabinet Secretary made a brief presentation highlighting PRAGATI’s key achievements and outlining how it has reshaped India’s monitoring and coordination ecosystem, strengthening inter-ministerial and Centre-State follow-through, and reinforcing a culture of time-bound closure, which resulted in faster implementation of projects, improved last-mile delivery of Schemes and Programmes and quality resolution of public grievances.