PM tells youths to make India selfreliant in defence, health
IN LUCKNOW Modi says country set to make history on July 1 when GST is rolled out
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday urged the country’s youths to make India self-reliant in the fields of defence, security and medical health.
“We are a young nation. Of the 125 crore Indians, 85 crore people are below the age of 35 years. Our youths have tremendous potential and there could be no greater inspiration for them than APJ Abdul Kalam after whom this university has been named,” Modi said after dedicating the new campus building of the Abdul Kalam University in Lucknow.
“The world took note of us when we launched 104 satellites simultaneously. We are at the threshold of yet another historic moment when the Goods and Services Tax (GST) would be rolled out on July 1. Despite their opposition and reservations to it, I am grateful to leaders of all political parties for evolving a consensus on this major tax-reform move that would change the business landscape of the country. I know there would be some initial hiccups in its implementation but we are prepared for it,” the PM said.
Modi, who arrived at the event after spending over 40 minutes with scientists at Central Drug Research Institute in Lucknow referred to them as modern day ‘rishis’ (sages), who had dedicated their entire life to research work on new drugs and medicines.
“Science is universal, but technology must be local,” he said adding that even doctors now had to rely on machines for diagnosis. “But we have to import most of this state-of-theart medical equipment. Same is the case with our defence or security requirement. I want India to become self-sufficient in every field,” Modi said.
To achieve this dream, the PM said, his government had taken several steps, including opening the doors for 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in defence, tax-incentives on technology transfer and exports.
Giving away sanction letters of houses to women from economically weaker sections under the PM Awasiye Yojana, Modi said when the country completes 75 years of Freedom in 2022, “I would like to see a roof over the head of all our countrymen with proper educational facilities and civic amenities.”
Overwhelmed for being chosen as one of the beneficiaries of PMAY, Ramrati thanked the PM. “Now that I will have a house of my own I will plan my son’s wedding and you will have to attend it,” she told Modi, who along with chief minister Yogi Adityanath broke into a laughter.
The PM also inaugurated a 400 KV power grid line between Lucknow and Kanpur on the occasion. “I was told that there was a VVIP quota in providing electricity in the previous Samajwadi Party government.
Some VVIP districts were given round-the-clock supply at the cost of others. I am happy that Yogiji has done away with this discrimination and now all 75 districts were being given equal supply,” he said.
Modi said the new power line would go a long way in giving a fillip to industrial growth on the Lucknow-Unnao-Kanpur corridor.