Gati Shakti, Vande Bharat Trains, Sainik Schools for Girls: PM Modi’s 6 Major Announcements on 75th Independence Day

Independence Day 2021: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of 75th Independence Day on Sunday. During his 1.5 hour-long address, PM Modi touched on wide range of subjects including economy, infrastructure, Atma Nirbhar Bharat, and social welfare schemes launched in the past few years. The Prime Minister also laid out his vision for next 25 years and what his government intends to do in the near future.

Here are the six major announcements made by PM Modi on Sunday:

1. Gati Shakti – National Master Plan

“We are going to launch National Master Plan of Prime Minister ‘Gati Shakti’ which will be a huge scheme and fulfill the dreams of crores of countrymen. This scheme of more than 100 lakh crores rupees will result in new employment opportunities for lakhs of youth,” he said. The Gati Shakti will be a National Infrastructure Master Plan, which will lay the foundation of holistic Infrastructure and will lead to an integrated and holistic pathway to our economy. “Right now, there is no coordination between our means of transport. Gati Shakti will break the silos, and will remove all these obstacles. This will reduce the travel time for the common man and the productivity of our industry will also increase,” PM Modi said.

2. 75 Vande Bharat Trains

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that 75 ‘Vande Bharat’ trains will connect different parts of the country in 75 weeks to mark the ongoing ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. “The country has resolved that 75 Vande Bharat trains will be connecting every corner of the country in 75 weeks of Amrit Mahotsav of Independence,” he said. Vande Bharat, the indigenous semi-high speed train set, is being given a boost, with the Railways gearing to roll out at least 10 of them, linking around 40 cities, by August 2022 to commemorate 75 years of Independence. Hyderabad-based engineering firm Medha, which in February secured the contract to supply the electrical systems for 44 Vande Bharat trains, has now been told to advance its production plan, so that at least two prototypes can be rolled out by next March following all trials.

3. Sainik Schools for Girls

Prime Minister Modi announced that all Sainik Schools in the country will now be open for girls also. At present, 33 Sainik schools are operating in the country. The PM said that two-and-a-half years ago, the maiden experiment of admitting girls in Sainik schools was carried out in Mizoram. “Now, the government has decided that all the Sainik schools in the country will also be open for the daughters of the country,” he said.

Sainik schools are run by the Sainik Schools Society which is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence. The aim of establishing Sainik schools was to prepare the students from an early age for their entry into the Indian armed forces.

4. Fortified Rice for Poor

PM Modi said that his government’s priority was to provide nutrition to every poor person of the country. He said malnutrition and lack of essential nutrients in poor women and poor children poses major obstacles in their development. “In view of this, it has been decided that the government will fortify the rice given to the poor under its various schemes. Will give rice fortified with nutrition to the poor. Be it the rice available at the ration shop, the rice provided to the children in the mid-day meal, or the rice available through every scheme, it shall be fortified by the year 2024,” he added.

5. National Hydrogen Mission

Prime Minister Modi announced the setting up of the National Hydrogen Mission. He said Green Hydrogen is the future of the world. “We have to make India a Global Hub for Green Hydrogen Production and Export in the ‘Amrit Kaal’. This will not only help India to make a new progress in the field of energy self-reliance but will also become a new inspiration for Clean Energy Transition all over the world,” he said.

6. E-commerce platform for Self-Help Groups

The Prime Minister today also announced an e-commerce platform for self-help groups (SHGs). He said more than eight crore women in the villages are associated with Self-Help Groups and they design top-end products. “Now the government will create an e-commerce platform to ensure a huge market in the country and abroad for their products,” he said, adding that when the country is moving forward with the mantra of being vocal for local, this digital platform will connect the products of women self-help groups with people in far flung areas of the country as well as abroad and it will have far-reaching consequences.