There should always be a hunger inside us: PM Modi to chess players

Published By : Admin | September 26, 2024 | 12:15 IST

Chess Participant: Sir, this is the first time India has won both gold medals, and the way the team has performed is remarkable. The boys scored 21 out of 22 points, and the girls scored 19 out of 22 points. In total, we secured 40 points out of 44. Such a huge and impressive performance has never happened before.

Prime Minister: What was the atmosphere like there?

Chess Participant: Since we won for the first time, everyone was happy for us because we celebrated so much. In fact, every opponent came and congratulated us, and they genuinely felt happy for us. Even our opponents!

Chess Participant: Sir, we've noticed that in recent years, many spectators have been cheering for us. They travelled from far away just to watch the match, which I don't think used to happen before. So, I believe the popularity of chess has increased. It felt really good to see people rooting for us. There was some pressure, but the support felt great. When we won, everyone was chanting "India, India!"

Chess Participant: This time, 180 countries participated. When the Olympiad was held in Chennai, both Indian teams (men and women) won bronze. In the last match for the women's team, we played against the USA, and we lost, losing the chance for a gold medal. But this time, we played against them again and were more motivated to win the gold medal for India. We had to defeat them this time.

Prime Minister: You had to defeat them.

Chess Participant: That match was very close and ended in a draw. But we went on to win the gold. Sir, this time we were determined to return with a victory for our country. There was no second option.

Prime Minister: You only get victory when you have such determination. But when you scored 21 out of 22 and 19 out of 22, what was the reaction of other players or the organizers of the event?

Chess Participant: Sir, I think Gukesh wants to answer that. I just want to say that we won so convincingly, especially in the Open team, that it felt like no one could even come close to us. In the women’s team, we won the first seven matches in a row, and then faced a small setback, but we showed resilience and made a comeback. But as for the Open team, sir, I can't even express how dominant we were. I think Gukesh, who was on board, can explain it better.

Chess Participant: This experience was truly a great team effort. Every single one of us was in excellent form and super motivated. In the 2022 Olympiad, we were very close to winning the gold medal, but I played one game where I could have won and secured the gold, but unfortunately, I lost that game. It was heartbreaking for everyone. So, this time we were super motivated, and from the start, we were determined to win. I'm really glad!

Prime Minister: Tell me, have you ever thought about using AI to correct your game or understand your opponent’s game?

Chess Participant: Yes, sir. With AI, chess has evolved. There are new technologies, and computers have become much stronger now, showing many new ideas in chess. We are still learning from it, and I think there is a lot to learn.

Chess Participant: Sir, I think it’s now become so accessible that AI tools are available to everyone because it’s been democratized. We certainly use it in our preparation.

Prime Minister: Tell me more.

Chess Participant: Nothing much, sir, it’s been quite an experience.

Prime Minister: Nothing much? You just won, just like that…gold (medal) came easy?

Chess Participant: No sir, it didn’t come easy. We worked really hard. I think all my teammates, including the men, worked very hard to finally reach this stage.

Prime Minister: I’ve noticed that many of your parents are doctors.

Chess Participant: Yes, both my parents are doctors, and my sister is a doctor too. When I was young, I used to see them getting phone calls from patients at 2 a.m., and they had to go to attend to them. So I thought I would choose a more stable career, but then I realized sports also require a lot of running around!

Chess Participant: Sir, I’ve always noticed that you encourage and support every sport and every athlete. I feel you have a deep connection with sports. I want to know the story behind it—why is that?

Prime Minister: I’ll tell you. I believe that a country doesn’t become developed just by its wealth, industry, or GDP. A nation needs to excel in every field. If it's the film industry, we should aim to win the maximum Oscars. If it’s science, we should aim for the most Nobel Prizes. Similarly, in sports, our children should bring home the maximum gold medals. It’s when a country excels in all these verticals that it truly becomes great. When I was in Gujarat, I started a "Khel Mahakumbh" (sports festival) where lakhs of children participated. I even encouraged older people to play. As a result, talented children started emerging. I firmly believe that our youth have immense potential. Secondly, I think for a good social environment in the country, the spirit of sportsmanship should be a cultural norm, not just for athletes but in all aspects of life.

Chess Participant: You make so many big decisions every day. What advice would you give us on how to handle pressure situations?

Prime Minister: Physical fitness matters a lot. Many of us are physically fit, and you probably follow a training regimen. You must have been told what to eat, how much to eat before a game, and what not to eat. I believe that if we develop habits around these things, we can digest all kinds of problems. For good decision-making, you need a lot of information—both positive and negative. It's human nature to only want to hear what is pleasant, but that can lead to mistakes in decisions. If you try to hear all types of information, understand different perspectives, analyse them yourself, and, without hesitation, ask an expert if something is unclear, you’ll find it easier to navigate challenges. Some things come with experience, and as I’ve said before, yoga and meditation have real power.

Chess Participant: Sir, we played for two weeks, and we’re exhausted now. But you work day in and day out for years without taking a break. So I wanted to ask—what is the secret of your energy? You know so much, you’re always open to learning, open to the world, and you fill every sports person with so much enthusiasm to perform. I wanted to ask, if you could give us one piece of advice, where would you like to see chess?

Prime Minister: You see, never seek satisfaction in life. You should never feel satisfied with anything because that’s when you start becoming complacent.

Chess Participant: That’s why you only sleep for three hours, Sir!

Prime Minister: There should always be a hunger inside us—to do something new, to do something more.

Chess Participant: We had just won the tournament, and we were returning on the bus when we saw your speech live. You announced to the world that India had won two historic gold medals, and we were all together in the bus. It made us so happy that you announced it in front of the whole world. I played my first Olympiad in 1998, and at that time, players like Garry Kasparov and Karpov were playing, and we used to run to get their autographs. India's ranking was very low back then. But this time, when I went as a coach, I saw Gukesh, Brahmananda, Arjun, Divya, Harika coming, and now people are running to get their autographs. This change, this confidence in the new generation of players—I think it’s because of your vision that India should be number one. I believe that change is happening, sir.

Chess Participant: Thank you so much for meeting us on such short notice. You were in the US, but you still made time for us, and we are truly motivated by this.

Prime Minister: My value lies in all of you. I think this is not only important for us, but it will also be a great inspiration for others who play chess. They will be motivated to play well and meet you, which will inspire them even more.

Yes, sometimes seeing others succeed shows us that if they can do it, we can do it too. Once, when I was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, I organized a very large chess event.

Chess Participant: Twenty thousand people played chess together at that event, and sir, many of them had never played chess before.

Prime Minister: At that time, some of them may not have even been born! People were surprised, wondering what Modi was doing. Organizing seating for 20,000 people requires a large space, so I had a huge tent built. Even the officials were asking why so much money was being spent. I told them, "This is exactly what I’ll spend it on."

Chess Participant: Sir, when you encouraged me so much at that time, I was overjoyed. I told myself that I had to give my all to chess from that moment on. From then on, my goal was to win medals for India, and I was so incredibly happy.

Prime Minister: You were also there!

Chess Participant: Yes, when you organised it. At that event, many girls participated as well.

Prime Minister: Wow. So how did they bring you to that event?

Chess Participant: I had won the Asian Under-9 Championship, and someone told my mother about a big event happening in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. That’s when I was invited.

Prime Minister: Can I keep this?

Chess Participant: Yes, sir. It was meant to be framed and presented to you, sir, but …

Prime Minister: Don’t worry, this is a very special memory for me. Did you keep the shawl I gave you?

Chess Participant: Yes, sir, I have kept it.

Prime Minister: Great. I’m really happy. My best wishes to all of you. Keep progressing!

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Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi lays foundation stone for various development projects in Maharashtra worth over Rs 7600 crore via video conferencing
October 09, 2024
Inaugurates 10 Government Medical Colleges in Maharashtra
Lays foundation stone for upgradation of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur
Lays foundation stone for New Integrated Terminal Building at Shirdi Airport
Inaugurates Indian Institute of Skills Mumbai and Vidya Samiksha Kendra, Maharashtra
Launch of projects in Maharashtra will enhance infrastructure, boost connectivity and empower the youth: PM

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for various development projects in Maharashtra worth over Rs 7600 crore via video conference today. The projects of today include the foundation stone laying of the upgradation of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur and the New Integrated Terminal Building at Shirdi Airport. Shri Modi also launched the operationalization of 10 Government Medical Colleges in Maharashtra and inaugurated the Indian Institute of Skills (IIS), Mumbai and Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK) of Maharashtra.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that Maharashtra is being presented with 10 new Medical colleges and important infrastructure projects including the modernization and expansion of Nagpur Airport and construction of a new terminal building for Shirdi Airport. He congratulated the people of Maharashtra for the development projects of today.

Recalling his visit to Mumbai and Thane to inaugurate projects worth Rs 30,000 crore, the Prime Minister mentioned that development projects worth thousands of crores such as the expansion of Metro network, upgradation of airports, highway projects, infrastructure, solar energy and textile parks have been initiated in various districts earlier. Shri Modi underlined that new initiatives have been undertaken for farmers, fishermen and animal keepers while the foundation stone for Wadhawan Port - India’s largest container port has also been laid in Maharashtra. The Prime Minister remarked, “Never in the history of Maharashtra has development taken place at such a fast pace, on such a large scale, in different sectors.”

Recalling the recent recognition of Marathi as a classical language, the Prime Minister remarked that when a language gets its due respect, it's not just the words but the entire generation gets a voice. He added that the dream of crores of Marathi brethren was fulfilled with this. Shri Modi noted that the people of Maharashtra celebrated the recognition of Marathi as a classical language. He added that he was receiving messages of happiness and gratitude from people across the villages of Maharashtra. Shri Modi remarked that the recognition of Marathi as a classical language was not his work but a result of the blessings of people of Maharashtra. The Prime Minister underlined that the works of progress in Maharashtra were underway due to the blessings of luminaries like Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Jyothiba Phule and Savitribai Phule.

The Prime Minister noted that the results of the assembly elections published yesterday for Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir and the voters of Haryana had clearly revealed the mood of the people of the country. He added that the victory in Haryana for the third consecutive time after successful completion of two terms was historic.

Prime Minister Modi cautioned against those who play divisive politics and mislead the voters for personal gains. He also pointed out attempts to induce fear among Muslims in India and convert them into votebank and also expressed disdain towards those indulging in casteism in Hinduism for their benefit. Shri Modi warned against those trying to break Hindu society in India for political gains. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that the people of Maharashtra would reject efforts to break the society.

In the last 10 years, the Prime Minister said that the government has begun a ‘Maha Yajna’ of creating modern infrastructure for the development of the nation. “Today, we are not only constructing buildings but laying the foundation of a healthy and prosperous Maharashtra”, the Prime Minister said, referring to the inauguration of 10 new Medical colleges in the state to improve the lives of lakhs of people. He said that Thane, Ambernath, Mumbai, Nashik, Jalna, Buldhana, Hingoli, Washim, Amravati, Bhankdara and Gadchiroli districts would become centers of service for lakhs of people. The Prime Minister underscored that the 10 new Medical colleges would further add 900 medical seats in Maharashtra taking the total number of medical seats in the state to about 6000. Recalling his resolve to add 75,000 new medical seats from the Red Fort, the Prime Minister said that today's event is a big step in this direction.

Adding that the Government had eased the Medical Education, the Prime Minister remarked that the doors to new avenues were opened for the youth of Maharashtra. He added that the priority of the government was to ensure that as many children from poor and middle class families become doctors and their dreams are fulfilled. Shri Modi said that at one point of time, there was a huge challenge of non-availability of books in mother tongue for such specialized studies. The Prime Minister said that the Government ended this discrimination and the youth of Maharashtra would be able to study medicine in Marathi language. He added that the youth will fulfill their dream of becoming doctors, by studying in their mother-tongue.

The Prime Minister remarked that the Government’s effort to make life comfortable was a big medium to fight against poverty. Lambasting the previous Governments for making poverty the fuel of their politics, he added that his government has lifted 25 crore people out of poverty within a decade. Elaborating on the transformation of health services in the country, Shri Modi said “Today, every poor person has an Ayushman card for free medical treatment”. He added that recently the elderly aged above 70 years were also getting free medical treatment. Shri Modi noted that the Essential medicines were available at very low prices at Jan Aushadhi Kendras and the stents for heart patients were made cheaper by 80-85 percent. He added that the Government had also reduced the prices of medicines necessary for cancer treatment. Adding that medical treatment had become cheaper due to the increase in the number of government medical colleges and hospitals, Shri Modi said “Today the Modi government has given a strong shield of social security to the poorest of the poor.”

The Prime Minister emphasized that the world only trusts a country when its youth is filled with confidence. He noted that the confidence of today’s young India is writing the story of a new future for the nation and highlighted that the global community sees India as a significant hub for human resources, with vast opportunities in education, healthcare, and software development across the globe. To prepare India’s youth for these opportunities, the Prime Minister informed that the government is aligning their skills with global standards. The Prime Minister mentioned the launch of various projects in Maharashtra, including the Vidya Samiksha Kendra, aimed at advancing the educational framework and the inauguration of the Indian Institute of Skills in Mumbai, where future-oriented training will be provided to align the talent of young individuals with market demands. Further, Shri Modi highlighted the government’s initiative of offering paid internships to youth, a first in India's history, where students will receive a stipend of Rs 5,000 during their internship. He expressed happiness that thousands of companies are registering to be a part of this initiative thereby helping young individuals gain valuable experience and opening new opportunities for them.

The Prime Minister said India's efforts for its youth are yielding significant results. He said that India’s educational institutions are standing on par with the top institutes globally and highlighted the growing quality of higher education and research in India as released by World University Rankings only yesterday.

Shri Modi said that the world’s eyes are now on India as the country has become the fifth-largest economy. “Future of the global economy is in India”, the Prime Minister remarked, noting the new opportunities brought by economic progress, especially in sectors that were once neglected for decades. He gave the example of tourism and pointed out the lost opportunities in the past to fully utilize Maharashtra’s invaluable heritage, beautiful natural sites and spiritual centers to develop the state into a billion-dollar economy.

The Prime Minister stressed that the present government includes both development and heritage. Touching upon building a bright future inspired by India’s rich past, the Prime Minister mentioned the new terminal at Shirdi Airport, the modernization of Nagpur Airport and other development projects underway in Maharashtra. He said that the new terminal at Shirdi Airport will greatly benefit devotees of Sai Baba allowing more visitors from across the country and abroad. He also spoke about inaugurating the upgraded Solapur Airport which will now enable devotees to visit nearby spiritual destinations such as Shani Shingnapur, Tulja Bhavani and Kailas Temple thereby, boosting Maharashtra’s tourism economy and creating employment opportunities.

“Every decision and every policy of our government is dedicated to only one goal - Viksit Bharat!”, exclaimed Shri Modi. He added that the Government’s vision for the same was welfare of the poor, farmers, youth and women. Therefore, he added that every development project was dedicated to the poor villagers, laborers and farmers. Shri Modi highlighted that the separate cargo complex being built at Shirdi Airport would help the farmers a lot as various types of agricultural products could be exported across the country and abroad. He added that farmers of Shirdi, Lasalgaon, Ahilyanagar and Nashik would benefit from the cargo complex by easily being able to transport products like onion, grapes, guava and pomegranate to the big market.

The Prime Minister remarked that the government was constantly taking necessary steps in the interest of farmers such as abolishing the minimum export price on Basmati rice, removal of ban on export of non-Basmati rice, reducing the export duty on parboiled rice by half. He added that the government has also reduced the export tax on onions by half to increase the income of farmers of Maharashtra. Shri Modi also added that the Government had decided to impose a 20 percent tax on the import of edible oils and significantly increase the custom duty on refined soybean, sunflower and palm oil to help the farmers of India to benefit with higher prices for crops like mustard, soybean and sunflower. Shri Modi also added that the way the government was supporting the textile industry the cotton farmers of Maharashtra would be greatly benefitted.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister said that the resolve of the present government is to strengthen Maharashtra. He expressed happiness with the state’s pace of progress and congratulated the people of Maharashtra for all the development projects of today.

Governor of Maharashtra, Shri C P Radhakrishnan, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis were virtually present on the occasion.

Background

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the upgradation of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport, Nagpur with a total estimated project cost of around Rs 7000 crore. It will serve as a catalyst for growth across multiple sectors, including manufacturing, aviation, tourism, logistics, and healthcare, benefiting Nagpur city and the wider Vidarbha region.

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for the New Integrated Terminal Building at Shirdi Airport worth over Rs 645 crore. It will provide world-class facilities and amenities for the religious tourists coming to Shirdi. The construction theme of the proposed terminal is based on the spiritual neem tree of Sai Baba.

In line with his commitment to ensuring affordable and accessible healthcare for all, the Prime Minister launched the operationalization of 10 Government Medical Colleges in Maharashtra located at Mumbai, Nashik, Jalna, Amravati, Gadchiroli, Buldhana, Washim, Bhandara, Hingoli and Ambernath (Thane). While enhancing the undergraduate and postgraduate seats, the colleges will also offer specialized tertiary healthcare to the people.

In line with his vision to position India as the ‘Skill Capital of the World’, the Prime Minister also inaugurated the Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) Mumbai, with an aim to create an industry-ready workforce with cutting-edge technology and hands-on training. Established under a Public-Private Partnership model, it is a collaboration between the Tata Education and Development Trust and Government of India. The institute plans to provide training in highly specialized areas like mechatronics, artificial intelligence, data analytics, industrial automation and robotics among others.

Further, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK) of Maharashtra. VSK will provide students, teachers, and administrators with access to crucial academic and administrative data through live chatbots such as Smart Upasthiti, Swadhyay among others. It will offer high-quality insights to schools to manage resources effectively, strengthen ties between parents and the state, and deliver responsive support. It will also supply curated instructional resources to enhance teaching practices and student learning.