Independence Day 2018: What to expect from PM Narendra Modi’s speech tomorrow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi on Wednesday on India’s 72nd Independence Day.

With Lok Sabha elections scheduled to be held in the first half of 2019, this will be PM Modi’s last address during his current tenure.

Observers suggest that the speech — a long-standing annual tradition — will focus on highlighting the achievements of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government and will act as a report card on the Centre’s performance.

Here are some of the key topics that the prime minister is expected to talk about in his fifth Independence Day speech:

Ayushman Bharat

Multiple reports suggest that Prime Minister Modi is likely to announce the launch of the Ayushman Bharat National Health Protection Scheme (AB NHPS) in some states on a pilot basis on Wednesday. A complete rollout is expected to happen by September-end.

The ambitious programme aims to provide a coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family annually, and is expected to benefit more than 10 crore poor families.

While Punjab, Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Delhi are yet to come on board, Odisha has refused to be a part of the scheme. According to reports, 22 states have preferred to run the scheme on "trust model".

The Centre has allocated around Rs 10,000 crore for it, which is claimed to be the world's largest government-funded healthcare insurance programme. However, it is yet to release its share of funds to the states.

Jan Dhan Yojana

To provide a boost to the government's financial inclusion drive, the PM is expected to announce benefits for about 32 crore Jan Dhan account holders on Wednesday.

There could be an announcement on doubling of overdraft facility to Rs 10,000 for the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) account holders.

The government may also announce a micro insurance scheme. The free accident cover for RuPay Cardholders could be increased from the existing amount of Rs 1 lakh.

Atal Pension Yojana

Prime Minister Modi may announce an increase in the pension limit under the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) from the existing slab of up to Rs 5,000 to up to Rs 10,000 per month. The scheme was announced in 2015-16.

Currently, subscribers of the APY scheme receive pension of Rs 1,000-5,000 per month at the age of 60 years, depending on their contributions.

Some observers suggest that the speech could touch up on issues such as internal security, terrorism and social issues as well.

With assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Mizoram scheduled for later this year, the PM may also touch upon the Cabinet’s decision to hike minimum support price (MSP) for all Kharif crops by 1.5 times the input cost for the 2018-19 season.

Earlier, the prime minister’s office (PMO) had invited people to send suggestions and ideas for the prime minister’s Independence Day speech.

PM Modi is expected to incorporate some of those ideas in his speech.

Last year, the PMO had received suggestions to incorporate themes such as education, cleanliness, environment, digitisation and girls' literacy.

PM Modi had kept his promise last year by delivering his shortest Independence Day speech. The speech lasted 54 minutes, well short of the 96-minute speech he had delivered in 2016. This year too, the address is expected to be short.

The address to the nation is likely to begin at 7.30 am on Wednesday. This year, the speech will go live on Google and YouTube, besides Doordarshan.

Google's home page has an embedded live telecast screen, which is aimed at grabbing more eyeballs for events that are already regarded as ‘high viewership’ programmes.