Addressing the nation in his 42nd Mann ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocated for a "Fit India" movement, encouraging youngsters to participate in it.
The prime minister began his radio address on Sunday saying he received a large number of letters, e-mails, phone calls from people across India. Modi talked about one of the topics people had requested he discuss in his address and said, "Yogesh Bhadresa Ji has asked me to speak to the youth concerning their health... Yogeshji, I have decided to speak on 'Fit India’. In fact, all young people can come together to launch a movement of 'Fit India'".
File image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PTI
Modi also said that a healthy India is vital as a clean India. "In case of health, the country has moved past conventional approaches and surged ahead. Earlier, health was looked after only by the health ministry but today all government arms are working towards creating a 'Healthy India'. Along with the emphasis on preventive healthcare, affordable healthcare is also being promoted," he said.
The prime minister also addressed farmers' concerns and said the latest Union Budget declared the Minimum Support Price (MSP) to at least one and least half of the cost. "In this year’s Budget, a big decision has been taken to ensure that farmers get a fair price for their produce. It has been decided that the MSP of notified crops will be fixed at least one and a half times of their cost," Modi said.
He also recalled Mahatma Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shashtri, Ram Manohar Lohia, Chaudhary Charan Singh and Chaudhary Devi Lal and said they too spoke about the importance of agriculture and welfare of farmers. Modi also said that the world's outlook on India has changed immensely.
Modi also mentioned Babasaheb Ambedkar and said India is grateful to him for his vision for irrigation, port development. "In the mid-40s, the world was talking about World War II, the Cold War, and divisions, but one man, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar was talking about unity, Team India and cooperative federalism," he said during his radio address.
He also lauded Ambedkar's sense of self-reliance and said that the government takes inspiration from him. "He never wanted a person to lead a life in poverty. He also believed that their poverty isn't removed with charity. Today, Mudra Yojana, Start-Up India initiatives are producing youth innovators and entrepreneurs in the country," Modi said.
Speaking of Foreign Direct Investment, Modi said that India was a bright spot in the world's firmament.
"Today, India receives the most amount of foreign direct investment in the world. The entire world looks at India as a hub for innovation and development," he said.
Published Date: Mar 25, 2018 12:11 PM | Updated Date: Mar 25, 2018 13:33 PM