Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Speech In Written In Hindi and English On Independence Day Of India

Prime Minister Speech In Written In English:

My dear countrymen,

I heartily greet 120 crore Indians on the 64th anniversary of our independence.

I have been addressing you from the historic Red Fort for the last seven years. In these seven years, our country has achieved much. During this period, we have travelled rapidly on the path of development and have seen success in many areas. However, I am also well aware that a lot remains to be done. We have to banish poverty and illiteracy from our country. We have to provide the common man with access to improved health services. We have to provide employment opportunities to each one of our youth.

The road ahead is long and arduous. Particularly, the prevailing situation both inside and outside the country is such that if we do not act with understanding and restraint, our security and prosperity can get adversely affected. The world economy is slowing down. The developed countries especially America and countries of Western Europe are facing economic problems. There is unrest in many Arab countries of the Middle East. There are some people who want to create disturbances in the country so that our progress gets stalled. All this can have a negative impact on us. But we will not let this happen. I know that if we work together, we can face any challenge. However, it is necessary that we rise above personal or political interests and build consensus on issues of vital national importance.

Brothers and sisters,

We are building the edifice of modern India on the foundation of the hard work and sacrifices of our soldiers, our farmers and our workers. We will not let their hard work and sacrifices go waste. We will convert the dreams of our freedom fighters into reality.

Brothers and sisters,

In the last seven years, our government has strived for political stability and social and economic progress. We have established an environment of communal harmony in the country.

In these seven years, the pace of our economic development has been rapid. We have achieved this success despite the global economic slow-down of 2008 and rising prices of energy and commodities in world markets.

We have strived for reducing inequalities in the country. In the last seven years, we have taken special care of the needs of our brothers and sisters from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, minorities, women and children.

We have enacted laws which would guarantee our people their basic entitlements. After the rights to education, employment and information, we will soon enact a legislation for providing food security to the people.

In the last seven years, our relations with various countries of the world have strengthened and deepened. It is only the result of our hard work that today we have much more self respect and self-confidence in ourselves.

Brothers and sisters,

These successes are not ordinary. Today the world recognizes our potential to be one of the major economic powers globally. But the problem of corruption is a big obstacle in such a transformation.

In the last few months many instances of corruption have come to light. In some cases, functionaries of the Central government face allegations of corruption. In other cases, it is the functionaries of various State governments.

We are taking the strictest possible action in cases of corruption that have surfaced. These cases are sub-judice and hence I will say nothing more on this subject.

It is essential that when we consider these issues, we do not create an atmosphere in which the country’s progress comes into question. Any debate on these matters should reflect the confidence that we can overcome these challenges.

Corruption manifests itself in many forms. In some instances, funds meant for schemes for the welfare of the common man end up in the pocket of government officials. In some other instances government discretion is used to favour a selected few. There are also cases where government contracts are wrongfully awarded to the wrong people. We cannot let such activities continue unchecked.

I believe that there is no single big step which we can take to eradicate corruption. In fact, we will have to act simultaneously on many fronts.

We will have to improve our justice delivery system. Everyone should know that quick action will be taken against the corrupt and punishment meted out to them. If our system delivers justice in an effective manner, government officials would think twice before committing a wrong act out of greed or under political pressure.

We want a strong Lokpal to prevent corruption in high places. We have recently introduced a Bill in Parliament to achieve this. Now only Parliament can decide what type of Lokpal legislation should be enacted. I am aware of the differences of opinion on some aspects of the Bill. Those who don’t agree with this Bill can put forward their views to Parliament, political parties and even the press. However, I also believe that they should not resort to hunger strikes and fasts unto death.

It is not appropriate to bring the judiciary under the ambit of Lokpal. We believe that any such provision would go against the independence of the judiciary. However, we do need a framework in which the judiciary becomes more accountable. It is with this aim that we have introduced the Judicial Accountability Bill in Parliament. I am confident that this Bill will be passed soon.

An alert press and an aware citizenry can be very helpful in the fight against corruption. The Indian press is known for its independence and activism throughout the world. The Right to Information legislation that we have enacted has enabled our press and people to keep a strict watch on the work of the government.

Today many government decisions, which in the absence of this Act would escape public scrutiny, are coming to light. I believe that this is a big step forward in eradicating corruption.

Brothers and Sisters,

Many times, government discretion is misused in allocation of scarce resources and in the grant of clearances. We have examined this issue. We will put an end to such discretionary powers wherever possible.

Any government awards contracts worth thousands of crores every year. There are frequent complaints of corruption in these decisions. We had constituted a committee to suggest measures to reduce corruption in government purchases. The committee has recommended that, like many other countries, we should also have a public procurement legislation which lays down the principles and practice with regard to government purchases. We will introduce a Bill in Parliament by the end of this year to enact such a law.

In recent years, we have established independent regulatory authorities in many areas. These authorities discharge many responsibilities which were earlier in the domain of the government itself. We have no legislation which would enable monitoring of the work of these regulatory authorities and make them more accountable, without, however, compromising their independence. We are also considering enactment of such a law.

Brothers and sisters,

I have said so much on corruption because I know that this problem is a matter of deep concern for all of us. However, this is a difficulty for which no government has a magic wand. We are taking simultaneous action on many fronts in our fight against corruption. We want all political parties to stand shoulder to shoulder with us in this fight. To eradicate corruption, we have introduced, and will introduce, many Bills in Parliament. I hope that all political parties will cooperate in the process of converting these Bills into statutes. On the issue of corruption, I would like to say in the end that we can win the fight against corruption only when each and every citizen of India cooperates in it.

Brothers and sisters,

I congratulate the country’s farmers for their achievements this year. The production of foodgrains has been at a record level. Wheat, maize, pulses and oilseeds have all seen record levels of production. It is because of the hard work of our farmers that today there are proposals for export of foodgrains, sugar and cotton.

We need a second Green Revolution in agriculture. We can tackle the problem of rising food prices only by increasing agricultural production and productivity. We also need to increase agricultural production to implement a food security law. We will accelerate our efforts in this direction in the 12th Plan.

Today, I wish to assure our farmer brothers and sisters, particularly those who are small and marginal, that we will continue to take care of their special needs. It will be our endeavour to ensure that our farmers have easy access to fertilizers, seeds and credit. We also want to provide the best possible irrigation facilities to the farmers so that their dependence on rains is reduced.

Brothers and sisters,

Our country is passing through a phase of sustained high inflation. Controlling rising prices is a primary responsibility of any government. Our government fully understands this responsibility. We have continuously taken steps to rein in prices. Some time we have been confronted with a situation in which the reasons for rising prices lay outside the country. The prices of petroleum products, foodgrains and edible oil have risen steeply in international markets in recent times. Since we import these products in large quantities, any rise in their prices adds to inflationary pressure in our country. Sometimes we have been successful too in controlling inflation. But this success has not proved lasting. A few days back, the people’s concern at rising prices was also reflected in a discussion in Parliament. I wish to assure you today that we are continuously monitoring the situation to find out what new steps can be taken to arrest rising prices. Finding a solution to this problem will be our top-most priority in the coming months.

Brothers and sisters,

I am fully aware of the tensions caused in some parts of the country because of acquisition of land for industry, infrastructure and urbanization. Our farmers have been especially affected by such acquisition. Land acquisition is no doubt necessary for projects of public interest. But it should take place in a transparent and fair manner. The interests of those whose livelihoods are dependent on the land being acquired should be fully protected. We will ensure that no injustice is done to anyone in the process of land acquisition. Our government wants to replace the 117 year old land acquisition law by a new Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation law which is forward looking and balanced. We have already prepared a draft legislation and have initiated steps to build consensus on it. We will soon introduce a Bill in Parliament to this end.

Brothers and sisters,

We are satisfied with our achievements in the last seven years in the areas of education and health. Whether it is elementary education, secondary education or higher education we have taken concrete steps for improvements at all levels. This has shown good results. In the last few years, fundamental changes have taken place in the area of education. Today every citizen has a right to elementary education. We are now considering universalization of secondary education. Vocational education and skill development have acquired a new importance. In view of these major changes, it is necessary that we consider all aspects of education in a comprehensive manner. Therefore we have decided to appoint an education commission to make recommendations for improvements at all levels of education.

I have often referred to the 11th Five Year Plan as an education plan. We will lay the same emphasis on health in the 12th plan as we laid on education in the 11th plan. I will propose to the National Development Council that the 12th plan should be specially focused on health. I also promise that funds will not be a constraint in the important areas of education and health.

For a long time our country had no facility for health insurance for workers in the unorganized sector. In 2008, we began the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana for workers in the unorganized sector who are below the poverty line. In the last year we have covered those getting employment under Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Act and also domestic workers, street vendors and beedi workers under this scheme. Today the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana covers about 2 crore 50 lakh workers. Our government will endeavour to cover as many unorganized sector workers as possible under this scheme.

Brothers and sisters,

We are continuously strengthening the physical infrastructure in our country. This is an area which requires very large investments. It is for this reason that in the last seven years we have pursued policies which encourage investment in infrastructure. As a percentage of GDP, investment in this area has grown more than one and a half times in the last seven years. There have been improvements in our capacities in the petroleum sector and power generation, and in our airports, roads, especially rural road, and ports. As an illustration, the capacity in power generation that we are going to add in the 11th plan will be twice that of the 10th plan. In the 12th Plan, we will further accelerate investment in infrastructure. We will pay special attention to the remote areas of our country and to rural areas. Connecting such areas by rail and road will get the top most priority.

Brothers and sisters,

We have taken a major step this year for our poor brothers and sisters living in cities. Recently we have approved the Rajiv Awas Yojana. We want to make India slum free through this scheme. We want the slum dwellers to get ownership of clean houses and have access to basic amenities like water and electricity. We will implement the Rajiv Awas Yojana as a national mission together with the States.

Brothers and sisters,

Malnutrition in our women and children is a matter of concern for all of us. We have taken a number of steps to tackle this problem, including two new schemes. We have also decided that we will start implementing an improved Integrated Child Development Services scheme within the next six months so that the problem of malnutrition in children can be effectively addressed.

The figures of census 2011 show improvements in most areas. But it is a matter of deep regret for us that the sex ratio has shown a decline from the level of the last census. For an improvement in this state of affairs, it is not only necessary to implement the existing laws effectively but it is also essential to change the approach with which our society views girls and women. I would especially appeal to the State governments and social service organizations to take steps for empowerment of women and for improving their status in society.

Brothers and sisters,

Last month’s terrorists attacks in Mumbai warn us that there cannot be any slip up in our vigilance as far as the fight against terrorism is concerned. This is a long battle to be fought jointly by the Central Government, the State Governments and the common man. We have been steadily strengthening our intelligence and security agencies and will continue to do so in the future also.

We are also taking all possible steps to overcome the challenge of naxalism. We want to eradicate the very reasons which give rise to this problem. Therefore we have started a new scheme for the accelerated development of 60 backward and tribal dominated districts. An amount of Rs. 3300 crore will be spent on this scheme in a period of two years.

Brothers and sisters,

Preserving our environment even as we develop rapidly is a huge challenge for us. Climate change poses a threat to both our development processes and our natural resources. We have established eight missions on climate change and are working hard to implement these missions. We have set up the National Ganga River Basin Authority for the protection and cleaning of river Ganga. We have also established the National Green Tribunal for quick disposal of cases involving environmental issues. In the coming months, we will constitute an environmental assessment and monitoring authority to streamline the process of environmental clearances.

Brothers and sisters,

Our society and country are changing rapidly because of our fast economic growth. Today our people look towards the future with new hope. They have higher aspirations. Our young men and women strive for path breaking achievements. We should all build an environment in the country in which the energy and enthusiasm of the people are channelised into activities of nation building. Our institutions should encourage constructive utilization of the potential of our people. Our entrepreneurs and businessmen should not feel constrained in their activities. Our industrialists should have the opportunity to set up new industries so that our youth can get additional avenues for productive employment. We should all stay away from politics that create suspicion or apprehension amongst those connected with industry, business and investment.

Brothers and sisters,

It is not an ordinary achievement for our democracy with a population of 120 crore and so many religions, languages and cultures to march rapidly ahead on the path of development. I congratulate the people of India on this achievement. But we must ensure that inequalities do not increase even as we develop rapidly.

We have embarked on a journey to transform our huge and diverse country through rapid development. A development which benefits every citizen of the country. It is natural that tensions would sometimes arise in this process of change. In a democracy, such tensions also become issues of political polarization. We should endeavour that even as political parties oppose and engage in debate against each other, the pace of our progress does not get affected.

We should also have faith that our democracy, our institutions and our social ideals and values have the capacity to deal with any difficulty. We should all have faith in ourselves. The faith that we can build a promising future for ourselves. The faith, that united we can do the most difficult of tasks. Let us all resolve to build a bright future for our country.

Dear Children, join me in saying

Jai Hind

Jai Hind

Jai Hind.

Prime Minister Speech In Written In Hindi:

मेरे प्यारे देशवासियों,

मैं दिल से अपनी आजादी की 64 वीं वर्षगांठ पर 120 करोड़ भारतीयों बधाई.

मैं पिछले सात वर्षों के लिए ऐतिहासिक लाल किले से में किया गया है आप को संबोधित. इन सात वर्षों में, हमारे देश में बहुत कुछ हासिल किया है. इस अवधि के दौरान, हम तेजी से विकास की राह पर कूच किया है और कई क्षेत्रों में सफलता देखी है. हालांकि, मैं भी अच्छी तरह से पता है कि एक बहुत कुछ किया जाना बना रहता हूँ. हम हमारे देश से गरीबी और निरक्षरता से मिटाना है. हम आम आदमी के लिए बेहतर स्वास्थ्य सेवाओं के उपयोग के साथ प्रदान की है. हम हमारे युवाओं में से हर एक के लिए रोजगार के अवसर प्रदान किया है.

सड़क आगे लंबी और कठिन है. विशेष रूप से, दोनों के अंदर और देश के बाहर मौजूदा स्थिति ऐसी है कि अगर हम समझ और संयम के साथ कार्य नहीं करते हैं, हमारी सुरक्षा और समृद्धि पर प्रतिकूल प्रभाव पड़ा प्राप्त कर सकते है. विश्व अर्थव्यवस्था धीमा है. विशेष रूप से विकसित देशों अमेरिका और पश्चिमी यूरोप के देशों के आर्थिक समस्याओं का सामना कर रहे हैं. मध्य पूर्व के कई अरब देशों में अशांति है. वहाँ कुछ लोग हैं, जो इतना है कि हमारी प्रगति ठप हो जाता है देश में गड़बड़ी पैदा करना चाहते हैं. यह सब हम पर एक नकारात्मक प्रभाव हो सकता है. लेकिन हम नहीं होने दूँगी. मुझे पता है कि अगर हम एक साथ काम करते हैं, हम किसी भी चुनौती का सामना कर सकते हैं. हालांकि, यह आवश्यक है कि हम व्यक्तिगत या राजनीतिक हितों से ऊपर उठकर और महत्वपूर्ण राष्ट्रीय महत्व के मुद्दों पर आम सहमति बनाने की है.

भाइयों और बहनों,

हम कड़ी मेहनत और हमारे सैनिकों, हमारे किसानों और हमारे कार्यकर्ताओं के काम बलिदान की नींव पर आधुनिक भारत के भवन का निर्माण कर रहे हैं. हम उनकी कड़ी मेहनत और बलिदान बेकार जाने नहीं दूँगी. हम हकीकत में हमारे स्वतंत्रता सेनानियों के सपनों को परिवर्तित कर देंगे.

भाइयों और बहनों,

पिछले सात वर्षों में, हमारी सरकार ने राजनीतिक स्थिरता और सामाजिक और आर्थिक प्रगति के लिए प्रयासरत है. हम देश में सांप्रदायिक सौहार्द के वातावरण की स्थापना की है.

इन सात वर्षों में, हमारे आर्थिक विकास की गति को तेजी से किया गया है. हम दुनिया के बाजारों में ऊर्जा और वस्तुओं की वैश्विक धीमी गति से नीचे 2008 के आर्थिक और बढ़ती कीमतों के बावजूद इस सफलता हासिल की है.

हम देश में असमानताओं को कम करने के लिए प्रयासरत है. पिछले सात वर्षों में, हम अनुसूचित जातियों से हमारे भाइयों और बहनों की जरूरतों का विशेष ख्याल रखा है और अनुसूचित जनजातियों, अल्पसंख्यकों, महिलाओं और बच्चों.

हम कानून है जो हमारे लोगों को उनके बुनियादी एंटाइटेलमेंट की गारंटी चाहते हैं अधिनियमित किया है. शिक्षा, रोजगार और सूचना के अधिकार के बाद, हम जल्द ही लोगों को खाद्य सुरक्षा उपलब्ध कराने के लिए कानून अधिनियमित जाएगा.

पिछले सात वर्षों में, दुनिया के विभिन्न देशों के साथ हमारे संबंधों को मजबूत और गहरा है. यह केवल हमारी मेहनत कि आज हम अधिक आत्म सम्मान और अपने आप में आत्मविश्वास का परिणाम है.

भाइयों और बहनों,

इन सफलताओं साधारण नहीं हैं. आज दुनिया हमारी प्रमुख आर्थिक शक्तियों में से एक विश्व स्तर की क्षमता को पहचानता है. लेकिन भ्रष्टाचार की समस्या इस तरह के एक परिवर्तन में एक बड़ी बाधा है.

पिछले कुछ महीनों में भ्रष्टाचार के कई मामलों को प्रकाश में आया है. कुछ मामलों में, केंद्र सरकार का सामना भ्रष्टाचार के आरोपों के पदाधिकारियों. अन्य मामलों में, यह विभिन्न राज्य सरकारों के पदाधिकारियों का है.

हम सामने आए हैं कि भ्रष्टाचार के मामलों में strictest संभव कार्रवाई ले जा रहे हैं. इन मामलों न्यायाधीन हैं और इसलिए मैं इस विषय पर अधिक कुछ नहीं कहेंगे.

यह आवश्यक है कि जब हम इन मुद्दों पर विचार, हम एक माहौल है जिसमें देश की प्रगति के प्रश्न में आता है नहीं बना सकता हूँ. इन मामलों पर कोई बहस विश्वास है कि हम इन चुनौतियों को दूर कर सकते हैं प्रतिबिंबित करना चाहिए.

भ्रष्टाचार ही कई रूपों में प्रकट होता है. कुछ उदाहरणों में, फंड आम आदमी के अंत में सरकारी अधिकारियों की जेब में कल्याण के लिए योजनाओं के लिए मतलब था. कुछ अन्य उदाहरण सरकार के निर्णयों में एक चयनित कुछ एहसान किया है. वहाँ भी मामलों में जहां सरकारी ठेके गलत गलत लोगों के लिए सम्मानित कर रहे हैं. हम नहीं दे सकते हैं इस तरह की गतिविधियों अनियंत्रित जारी रखते हैं.

मुझे विश्वास है कि वहाँ कोई भी बड़ा कदम है जो हम भ्रष्टाचार उन्मूलन ले जा सकते हैं. वास्तव में, हम कई मोर्चों पर एक साथ कार्य करना होगा.

हम हमारी न्याय वितरण प्रणाली में सुधार होगा. हर कोई पता होना चाहिए कि भ्रष्ट और सजा उनके लिए बाहर meted के खिलाफ त्वरित कार्रवाई लिया जाएगा. यदि हमारी प्रणाली एक प्रभावी तरीके से न्याय उद्धार, सरकारी अधिकारियों को लालच से बाहर या राजनीतिक दबाव के तहत एक गलत कार्य करने से पहले दो बार सोचना होगा.

हम एक मजबूत लोकपाल के ऊंचे स्थानों में भ्रष्टाचार को रोकने के चाहते हैं. हमने हाल ही में संसद में एक विधेयक पेश किया है इस लक्ष्य को हासिल करने के लिए. अब केवल संसद क्या लोकपाल कानून के प्रकार लागू किया जाना चाहिए तय कर सकते हैं. मैं विधेयक के कुछ पहलुओं पर राय के मतभेदों के बारे में पता कर रहा हूँ. जो इस विधेयक के साथ सहमत नहीं हूँ आगे संसद, राजनीतिक पार्टियों और यहां तक ​​कि प्रेस करने के लिए अपने विचार रख सकते हैं. हालांकि, मैं यह भी मानना ​​है कि वे भूख और मौत के इधार हमलों उपवास को सहारा नहीं चाहिए.

लोकपाल के दायरे के तहत न्यायपालिका लाने यह उचित नहीं है. हम मानते हैं कि ऐसे किसी भी प्रावधान को न्यायपालिका की स्वतंत्रता के खिलाफ जाना होगा. हालांकि, हम एक रूपरेखा है जिसमें न्यायपालिका को अधिक जवाबदेह हो जाता है की जरूरत है. यह इस उद्देश्य है कि हम संसद में न्यायिक जवाबदेही विधेयक पेश किया है के साथ है. मुझे विश्वास है कि इस विधेयक जल्द पारित हो जाएगा.

एक सूचना प्रेस और एक जागरूक नागरिकों बहुत मददगार भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ लड़ाई में किया जा सकता है. भारतीय प्रेस और दुनिया भर में स्वतंत्रता और सक्रियता के लिए जाना जाता है. सूचना कानून अधिनियमित किया है कि हम का अधिकार हमारे प्रेस और लोगों सक्षम है सरकार के काम पर एक सख्त नजर रखने के लिए.

आज कई सरकारी निर्णय है, जो इस अधिनियम के अभाव में सार्वजनिक जांच से बचने के प्रकाश में आ रहे हैं. मुझे विश्वास है कि इस भ्रष्टाचार के उन्मूलन में एक बड़ा कदम आगे है.

भाइयों और बहनों,

कई बार सरकार के निर्णयों दुर्लभ संसाधनों के आवंटन में और मंजूरी के अनुदान में दुरुपयोग है. हम इस मुद्दे की जांच की है. हम ऐसे विवेकाधीन शक्तियों के लिए एक अंत डाल जहाँ भी संभव हो जाएगा.

लायक कोई सरकारी पुरस्कार हर साल हजारों करोड़ रुपए का अनुबंध. इन फैसलों में भ्रष्टाचार के लगातार शिकायत कर रहे हैं. हम एक समिति का गठन किया था सरकारी खरीद में भ्रष्टाचार को कम करने के उपाय सुझाना. समिति ने सिफारिश की है कि, कई अन्य देशों की तरह, हम भी एक सार्वजनिक खरीद कानून है जो नीचे सरकारी खरीद के संबंध के साथ सिद्धांतों और अभ्यास देता है होना चाहिए. इस वर्ष के अंत करने के लिए ऐसे कानून अधिनियमित द्वारा हम संसद में एक विधेयक पेश करेंगे.

हाल के वर्षों में, हम कई क्षेत्रों में स्वतंत्र नियामक प्राधिकरणों की स्थापना की है. इन अधिकारियों ने कई जिम्मेदारियों जो सरकार खुद के डोमेन में पहले थे निर्वहन. हम कोई कानून है जो इन नियामक अधिकारियों के काम की निगरानी को सक्षम करने और उन्हें और अधिक जवाबदेह बनाना होगा, के बिना, तथापि, अपनी स्वतंत्रता से समझौता. हम भी इस कानून के लागू करने पर विचार कर रहे हैं.

भाइयों और बहनों,

मैं इतना भ्रष्टाचार पर कहा है, क्योंकि मैं जानता हूँ कि इस समस्या को हम सभी के लिए गहरी चिंता की बात है. हालांकि, यह एक कठिनाई है, जिसके लिए कोई भी सरकार एक जादू की छड़ी है. हम भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ हमारी लड़ाई में कई मोर्चों पर एक साथ कार्रवाई ले जा रहे हैं. हम सभी राजनीतिक दलों कंधे खड़ा करने के लिए इस लड़ाई में हमारे साथ कंधे चाहते हैं. भ्रष्टाचार को खत्म करने के लिए, हम शुरू की है, है और परिचय, संसद में कई विधेयकों. मुझे आशा है कि सभी राजनीतिक दलों विधियों में इन विधेयकों को परिवर्तित करने की प्रक्रिया में सहयोग करेंगे. भ्रष्टाचार के मुद्दे पर, मैं अंत में कहना है कि हम भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ लड़ाई जीतने में यह केवल जब भारत के प्रत्येक नागरिक सहयोग कर सकते हैं करना चाहते हैं.

भाइयों और बहनों,

मैं उनके इस वर्ष उपलब्धियों के लिए देश के किसानों को बधाई देता हूं. खाद्यान्नों का उत्पादन रिकॉर्ड स्तर पर किया गया है. गेहूं, मक्का, दालों और तिलहन उत्पादन के रिकॉर्ड स्तर देखा है. यह हमारे किसानों की कड़ी मेहनत है कि आज वहाँ खाद्यान्न, चीनी, और कपास के निर्यात के लिए प्रस्तावों की वजह से है.

हम कृषि में दूसरी हरित क्रांति की जरूरत है. हम कृषि उत्पादन और उत्पादकता में वृद्धि से ही बढ़ती खाद्य कीमतों की समस्या से निपटने कर सकते हैं. हम भी कृषि उत्पादन बढ़ाने के लिए एक खाद्य सुरक्षा कानून को लागू करने की जरूरत है. हम 12 वीं योजना में इस दिशा में हमारे प्रयासों को गति देगा.

आज, मैं हमारे किसान भाइयों और बहनों, विशेष रूप से उन है जो छोटे और सीमांत हैं, कि हम अपने विशेष जरूरतों का ख्याल रखना जारी रहेगा आश्वासन चाहते हैं. यह हमारे कि हमारे किसानों को उर्वरक, बीज, और क्रेडिट के लिए आसान पहुँच सुनिश्चित करने के प्रयास किया जाएगा. हम भी किसानों को सर्वोत्तम संभव सिंचाई सुविधाओं को उपलब्ध कराने इतना है कि वर्षा पर अपनी निर्भरता कम है चाहता हूँ.

भाइयों और बहनों,

हमारे देश में निरंतर उच्च मुद्रास्फीति के एक चरण के माध्यम से गुजर रहा है. बढ़ती कीमतों को नियंत्रण किसी भी सरकार की प्राथमिक जिम्मेदारी है. हमारी सरकार पूरी तरह से इस जिम्मेदारी को समझता है. हम लगातार कीमतों पर लगाम लगाने के लिए कदम उठाए हैं. कुछ समय हम एक स्थिति में बढ़ती कीमतों के लिए कारण देश से बाहर रखना के साथ सामना किया गया है. पेट्रोलियम उत्पाद, खाद्यान्न और खाद्य तेल की कीमतों में तेजी से हाल के दिनों में अंतरराष्ट्रीय बाजार में बढ़ी है. चूंकि हम बड़ी मात्रा में इन उत्पादों के आयात, उनकी कीमतों में कोई वृद्धि हमारे देश में मुद्रास्फीति दबाव कहते हैं. कभी कभी हम सफल भी मुद्रास्फीति को नियंत्रित करने में किया गया है. लेकिन इस सफलता स्थायी नहीं साबित कर दिया है. कुछ दिन पहले, लोगों की चिंता बढ़ती कीमतों पर भी संसद में चर्चा में परिलक्षित किया गया था. मैं आज आपको विश्वास दिलाता हूं कि हम लगातार स्थिति की निगरानी कर रहे हैं के लिए बाहर खोजने के लिए क्या नया कदम को बढ़ती कीमतों गिरफ्तारी लिया जा सकता है की कामना करते हैं. इस समस्या का एक समाधान ढूँढना हमारी सर्वोच्च प्राथमिकता आने वाले महीनों में किया जाएगा.

भाइयों और बहनों,

मैं पूरी तरह से उद्योग, बुनियादी सुविधाओं, और शहरीकरण के लिए भूमि के अधिग्रहण की वजह से देश के कुछ हिस्सों में उत्पन्न तनाव के बारे में पता कर रहा हूँ. हमारे किसानों को विशेष रूप से ऐसे अधिग्रहण से प्रभावित किया गया है. भूमि अधिग्रहण नहीं सार्वजनिक हित की परियोजनाओं के लिए आवश्यक संदेह है. लेकिन यह एक पारदर्शी और निष्पक्ष तरीके से जगह ले जाना चाहिए. उन जिनकी आजीविका अधिग्रहीत भूमि जा रहा है पर निर्भर कर रहे हैं के हितों की पूरी तरह रक्षा की जानी चाहिए. हमें यह सुनिश्चित करना होगा कि भूमि अधिग्रहण की प्रक्रिया में किसी को कोई अन्याय किया जाता है. हमारी सरकार के लिए एक नया भूमि अधिग्रहण और पुनर्वास कानून जो आगे और देख रहा है और संतुलित द्वारा 117 साल पुराने भूमि अधिग्रहण कानून को बदलने के चाहता है. हम पहले से ही एक मसौदा कानून तैयार किया है और इस पर आम सहमति बनाने के लिए कदम उठाए. हम जल्द ही यह अंत करने के लिए संसद में एक विधेयक पेश करेंगे.

भाइयों और बहनों,

हम शिक्षा और स्वास्थ्य के क्षेत्रों में पिछले सात वर्षों में हमारी उपलब्धियों से संतुष्ट हैं. चाहे वह प्राथमिक शिक्षा, माध्यमिक शिक्षा या हम सभी स्तरों पर सुधार के लिए ठोस कदम उठाए हैं उच्च शिक्षा है. यह अच्छा परिणाम दिखाया गया है. पिछले कुछ वर्षों में, शिक्षा के क्षेत्र में मौलिक परिवर्तन जगह ले ली है. आज हर नागरिक को प्राथमिक शिक्षा के लिए एक सही है. हम अब माध्यमिक शिक्षा के सार्वभौमिकरण पर विचार कर रहे हैं. व्यावसायिक शिक्षा और कौशल विकास के एक नए महत्व प्राप्त कर लिया है. इन बड़े बदलाव के दृश्य में, यह आवश्यक है कि हम एक व्यापक तरीके से शिक्षा के सभी पहलुओं पर विचार. इसलिए हम एक शिक्षा आयोग की नियुक्ति के लिए शिक्षा के सभी स्तरों पर सुधार के लिए सिफारिशें करने का फैसला किया है.

मैं अक्सर एक शिक्षा योजना के रूप में 11 वीं पंचवर्षीय योजना के लिए भेजा. हम स्वास्थ्य पर 12 वीं योजना में एक ही जोर देना होगा के रूप में हम 11 वीं योजना में शिक्षा पर रखी. मैं राष्ट्रीय विकास परिषद में प्रस्ताव है कि 12 वीं योजना विशेष रूप से स्वास्थ्य पर ध्यान केंद्रित किया जाना चाहिए होगा. मैं भी वादा करता हूँ कि धन कोई बाधा शिक्षा और स्वास्थ्य के महत्वपूर्ण क्षेत्रों में नहीं होगा.

एक लंबे समय के लिए हमारे देश के असंगठित क्षेत्र के श्रमिकों के लिए स्वास्थ्य बीमा के लिए कोई सुविधा थी. 2008 में, हम श्रमिकों के लिए असंगठित क्षेत्र है, जो गरीबी रेखा से नीचे हैं में राष्ट्रीय स्वास्थ्य बीमा योजना शुरू किया. पिछले साल में हम महात्मा गांधी ग्रामीण रोजगार अधिनियम के तहत उन हो रही रोजगार कवर है और यह भी इस योजना के तहत घरेलू श्रमिकों, सड़क विक्रेताओं और बीड़ी श्रमिकों. आज राष्ट्रीय स्वास्थ्य बीमा योजना के बारे में 2 करोड़ 50 लाख श्रमिकों को शामिल किया गया है. हमारी सरकार को कवर के रूप में संभव के रूप में कई इस योजना के तहत क्षेत्र के श्रमिकों असंगठित प्रयास करेगी.

भाइयों और बहनों,

हम लगातार हमारे देश में भौतिक बुनियादी ढांचे को मजबूत बनाने. यह एक ऐसा क्षेत्र है जो बहुत बड़े पैमाने पर निवेश की आवश्यकता है. यह इस कारण है कि पिछले सात साल में हम नीतियों जो बुनियादी ढांचे में निवेश को प्रोत्साहित जारी है के लिए है. सकल घरेलू उत्पाद का एक प्रतिशत के रूप में, इस क्षेत्र में निवेश एक से अधिक और पिछले सात साल में डेढ़ गुना हो गया है. हमारी क्षमताओं में पेट्रोलियम और बिजली उत्पादन क्षेत्र में सुधार किया गया है, और हमारे हवाई अड्डों, सड़कों, विशेष रूप से ग्रामीण सड़क, और बंदरगाहों में. एक उदाहरण के रूप में, बिजली उत्पादन में क्षमता है कि हम 11 वीं योजना में जोड़ने के लिए जा रहे हैं दो बार 10 वीं योजना के में किया जाएगा. 12 वीं योजना में, हम आगे बुनियादी ढांचे में निवेश को गति देगा. हम हमारे देश के दूरदराज के क्षेत्रों और ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में विशेष ध्यान देना होगा. रेल और सड़क मार्ग से ऐसे क्षेत्रों कनेक्ट सर्वोच्च प्राथमिकता मिल जाएगा.

भाइयों और बहनों,

हम एक बड़ा कदम इस साल हमारे गरीब भाइयों और बहनों के शहरों में रहने के लिए ले लिया है. हाल ही में हम राजीव आवास योजना को मंजूरी दे दी है. हम इस योजना के माध्यम से भारत स्लम मुक्त बनाना चाहते हैं. हम स्लम निवासियों को साफ घरों के स्वामित्व पाने के लिए और पानी और बिजली जैसी बुनियादी सुविधाओं के लिए उपयोग करना चाहते हैं. हम अमेरिका के साथ एक राष्ट्रीय मिशन के साथ के रूप में राजीव आवास योजना को लागू करेगा.

भाइयों और बहनों,

हमारे महिलाओं और बच्चों में कुपोषण हम सभी के लिए चिंता का एक विषय है. हम कदम के एक नंबर ले लिया है करने के लिए दो नई योजनाओं सहित इस समस्या से निपटने,. हम भी फैसला किया है कि हम अगले छह महीनों के भीतर एक बेहतर समन्वित बाल विकास सेवा योजना को लागू करने शुरू इतना है कि बच्चों में कुपोषण की समस्या को प्रभावी ढंग से संबोधित किया जा सकता है.

2011 की जनगणना के आंकड़ों के अधिकांश क्षेत्रों में सुधार दिखा. लेकिन यह हमारे लिए गहरा अफसोस की बात है कि लिंग अनुपात पिछली जनगणना के स्तर से गिरावट दिखाया गया है. मामलों की इस राज्य में एक सुधार के लिए, यह केवल मौजूदा कानूनों को प्रभावी ढंग से लागू करने के लिए आवश्यक है, लेकिन नहीं है यह भी दृष्टिकोण के साथ जो हमारे समाज में लड़कियों और महिलाओं के विचारों को बदलने के लिए आवश्यक. मैं विशेष रूप से राज्य सरकारों और समाज सेवा संगठनों के लिए अपील करने के लिए महिलाओं के सशक्तिकरण के लिए और समाज में उनकी स्थिति में सुधार के लिए कदम उठाने.

भाइयों और बहनों,

पिछले महीने मुंबई में आतंकवादियों के हमलों ने हमें चेतावनी दी है कि वहाँ कोई पर्ची नहीं किया जा के रूप में दूर के रूप में आतंकवाद के खिलाफ लड़ाई का संबंध है हमारे सतर्कता में कर सकते हैं. यह एक लंबे समय के लिए संयुक्त रूप से केन्द्रीय सरकार, राज्य सरकारों और आम आदमी से लड़ा जाना लड़ाई है. हम लगातार हमारे खुफिया और सुरक्षा एजेंसियों को मजबूत बनाने और भविष्य में ऐसा करना भी जारी रहेगा.

हम भी सभी संभव कदम उठा रहे हैं नक्सलवाद की चुनौती पर काबू पाने के लिए. हम बहुत कारणों में से एक है जो इस समस्या को जन्म दे उन्मूलन करना चाहते हैं. इसलिए हम 60 पिछड़े और आदिवासी बहुल जिलों के त्वरित विकास के लिए एक नई योजना शुरू कर दिया है. रुपये की राशि. इस योजना पर दो साल की अवधि में 3300 करोड़ खर्च किया जाएगा.

भाइयों और बहनों,

हमारे पर्यावरण के संरक्षण के रूप में भी हम तेजी से विकसित करना हमारे लिए एक बड़ी चुनौती है. जलवायु परिवर्तन दोनों हमारे विकास की प्रक्रिया और हमारे प्राकृतिक संसाधनों के लिए एक खतरा बन गया है. हम जलवायु परिवर्तन पर आठ मिशन की स्थापना की है और कड़ी मेहनत कर रहे हैं इन अभियानों को लागू. हम संरक्षण और गंगा नदी की सफाई के लिए राष्ट्रीय गंगा नदी बेसिन प्राधिकरण की स्थापना की है. हम भी पर्यावरण के मुद्दों से जुड़े मामलों के त्वरित निपटान के लिए नेशनल ग्रीन ट्रिब्यूनल की स्थापना की है. आने वाले महीनों में, हम एक पर्यावरण आकलन और निगरानी करने के लिए पर्यावरण मंजूरी की प्रक्रिया को कारगर बनाने के अधिकार का गठन होगा.

भाइयों और बहनों,

हमारे समाज और देश के तेजी से हमारे तेजी से आर्थिक विकास की वजह से बदल रहे हैं. आज हमारे लोगों को नई उम्मीद के साथ भविष्य की ओर देखो. वे उच्च आकांक्षाओं है. हमारे युवा पुरुषों और महिलाओं पथ तोड़ने उपलब्धियों के लिए प्रयास करते हैं. हम सब देश जिसमें राष्ट्र निर्माण की गतिविधियों में और लोगों की ऊर्जा और उत्साह channelised हैं में एक ऐसे वातावरण का निर्माण करना चाहिए. हमारे संस्थानों को हमारे लोगों की क्षमता के रचनात्मक उपयोग को प्रोत्साहित करना चाहिए. हमारे उद्यमियों और व्यवसायियों को उनकी गतिविधियों में महसूस करने के लिए विवश नहीं करना चाहिए. हमारे उद्योगपतियों का अवसर करने के लिए नए उद्योगों की स्थापना इतना है कि हमारे युवा उत्पादक रोजगार के लिए अतिरिक्त रास्ते को प्राप्त कर सकते हैं होना चाहिए. हम सब कि या उद्योग, व्यापार और निवेश के साथ जुड़े लोगों के बीच संदेह और आशंका पैदा राजनीति से दूर रहना चाहिए.

भाइयों और बहनों,

यह 120 करोड़ की आबादी के साथ हमारे लोकतंत्र और इतने सारे धर्मों, भाषाओं और संस्कृतियों के लिए तेजी से विकास के पथ पर आगे मार्च के लिए एक साधारण उपलब्धि नहीं है. मैं इस उपलब्धि पर भारत की जनता को बधाई देता हूं. लेकिन हम यह सुनिश्चित करना चाहिए कि असमानताओं भी वृद्धि नहीं के रूप में हम तेजी से विकसित हो.

हम तेजी से विकास के माध्यम से हमारे विशाल और विविधतापूर्ण देश को बदलने के लिए एक यात्रा पर शुरू की है. एक विकास है जो देश के हर नागरिक को लाभ. यह स्वाभाविक है कि तनाव कभी कभी परिवर्तन की इस प्रक्रिया में पैदा होता है. लोकतंत्र में इस तरह के तनाव भी राजनीतिक ध्रुवीकरण के मुद्दों बन जाते हैं. हम प्रयास करना चाहिए कि के रूप में भी राजनीतिक दलों का विरोध और एक दूसरे के खिलाफ बहस में संलग्न, हमारी प्रगति की गति प्रभावित हो नहीं करता है.

हम यह भी विश्वास है कि हमारे लोकतंत्र, हमारे संस्थानों और हमारे सामाजिक आदर्शों और मूल्यों के लिए किसी भी कठिनाई के साथ सौदा करने की क्षमता है चाहिए. हम सब अपने आप में विश्वास होना चाहिए. विश्वास है कि हम खुद के लिए एक आशाजनक भविष्य का निर्माण कर सकते हैं. विश्वास, एकजुट है कि हम सबसे कार्यों की मुश्किल कर सकते हैं. हमें सब हमारे देश के लिए एक उज्जवल भविष्य बनाने को हल.

प्यारे बच्चे, मुझे कहने में शामिल

जय हिन्द

जय हिन्द

जय हिन्द.

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh Speech Live From Red Fort

Independence day 15 August 2012 PM Speech Highlights:
Economy, Naxals a concern; Lokpal Bill soon
Assam violence very unfortunate
‘Electricity for every household in next 5 years’
‘Lack of political consensus hampering growth’
‘Rajiv Housing Loan Scheme to be launched soon’
Upto 5 Lakh Home Loan to poor people

15th August 2011, New Delhi, India
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh Speech Live From Red Fort
The Celebration Ceremony of
65th Independence Day of India shall be available on 15th August 2011

Flag Hoisting by
Hon’ble Prime Minister of India
On DD News and DD National:

From http://independenceday.nic.in/

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Speech In Written In Hindi and English
PM Speech in English and Hindi

Highlights of Prime Minister’s Speech on 15 August, 2012

– You are aware that these days the global economy is passing through a difficult phase. We cannot do much about the conditions that prevail outside our country. But we must make every effort to resolve the problems inside our country so that our economic growth and the creation of employment opportunities in the country are again speeded up.

– If we do not increase the pace of the country’s economic growth, take steps to encourage new investment in the economy, improve the management of Government finances and work for the livelihood security of the common man and energy security of the country, then it most certainly affects our national security.

– I believe that this period of difficulties will not last long. Even as we face these problems, we should be encouraged by the fact that we have achieved extraordinary successes in many areas in the last 8 years. We now need to replicate these successes in newer areas.

– Today, one out of every 5 households in the country has become eligible to benefit from the Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Act through a job card. In only the last one year we have provided employment to more than 8 crore people under this scheme.

– When the UPA Government came to power in 2004, we had promised that we would provide electricity to all villages. To fulfill this promise, we launched the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Scheme. More than 1 lakh new villages have been provided with electricity connections under this scheme and now almost all the villages in the country have been electrified. Our next target is to provide electricity to each and every household in our country in the next 5 years and to also improve the supply of electricity.

– Today almost all children in the age group 6-14 years are being admitted to schools. More than 51,000 new schools have been opened in the country and about 7 lakh teachers appointed in them in just the last 2 years. Now we will focus on improving the quality of education. In the next few months we will put in place a system of continuous assessment of the benefit our children are getting from teaching. Participation of the community and parents would be ensured so that they can be satisfied with the quality of teaching.

– The National Skill Development Council has formulated a major scheme for skill development in which 8 crore people will be trained in the next 5 years. This is an ambitious scheme which can be implemented only through a specialized agency of the Central Government. Therefore, we are considering the establishment of a National Skill Development Authority so that skill development programmes all over the country can be implemented in a coordinated manner.

– Recently we have taken new measures to accelerate infrastructure development. Ambitious targets have been fixed in roads, airports, railways, electricity generation and coal production. The Government will take steps to increase investment for infrastructure development with the help of the private sector. To attract foreign capital, we will have to create confidence at the international level that there are no barriers to investment in India.

– Just 10 years back only 3 out of every 10 households in our villages were benefitting from banking services. Today more than half of the rural households get the benefit of bank accounts. It will be our endeavour to ensure that all households benefit from bank accounts in the next 2 years.

– We want to create a system in which money from Government schemes – pension for old people, scholarship for students and wages for labourers – can be credited directly into people’s bank accounts. This would reduce inconvenience to the beneficiaries, make it easy for them to receive payment and increase transparency. For this work, we will take help from the Aadhar scheme under which about 20 crore people have been registered so far.

– To provide housing for our poor brothers and sisters residing in urban areas of our country we will soon launch the Rajiv Housing Loan Scheme. Under this scheme, people belonging to the economically weaker sections would be given relief on interest for housing loans of less than Rs. 5 lakh.

–The incidents of violence which occurred in Assam recently are very unfortunate. I know that these incidents have resulted in the disruption of the lives of a large number of people. We fully sympathize with those families which have been affected by the violence. We are doing everything possible to provide relief to them. I also promise to you that our Government will make every effort to understand the reasons behind the violence and work hard with the State Governments to ensure that such incidents are not repeated in any part of the country.

–I would like to congratulate our scientists and technologists who have enhanced our prestige by successfully testing the Agni V Missile and launching the RISAT- I Satellite in space this year. Recently the Cabinet has approved the Mars Orbiter Mission. Under this Mission, our spaceship will go near Mars and collect important scientific information. This spaceship to Mars will be a huge step for us in the area of science and technology.

–Our Government has set up a committee to examine issues relating to pay and pension of armed forces personnel. This committee will also look into matters concerning pension of retired men and officers and family pension being paid to their families. We will take prompt action on the recommendations of the committee, once they are received.

–Our commitment to make the work of the Government and administration transparent and accountable stands. On the last Independence Day, I promised you that we would take many steps for this purpose. I am happy to state that during the last 1 year we have achieved good progress in this area. The Lok Sabha has cleared the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill. We hope that all political parties will help us in passing this Bill in the Rajya Sabha. A number of other Bills have also been presented before the Parliament. The Cabinet has cleared a Public Procurement Bill.

Today India President’s Prathibha Patil Address Nation on independence day speech on Doordarshan

Address by President Pratibha Patil on 65th I-Day evening
Dear Citizens,

As I speak to you on the eve of our 65th Independence Day, I extend my warmest greetings to all of you living in India and overseas. To the members of our Armed Forces and Para-military forces who guard our frontiers, and our internal security forces, I extend special greetings.

This significant day in our nation’s calendar takes us back to the events that made our country, a free nation. It is to Mahatma Gandhi – the Father of our Nation, to all the other leaders of our freedom movement, and to the millions of people of our country, who fought with bravery and courage, that we pay homage. Our independence was won on the principles of truth and non-violence. It is this, as well as the transformational impact it had in other parts of the world, that makes our freedom struggle exceptional. In Asia and in Africa, voices of freedom against oppression and colonial power, were encouraged by India’s example. We can be proud that we all belong to a country, that has proved its greatness through values, which have found such a wide resonance. We, as the inheritors of that great legacy, carry a responsibility to stand by truth and justice; to continue to conduct ourselves, in a manner that is in consonance, with India’s standing, as a progressive and responsible country, where values of democracy, harmony and tolerance are deeply embedded.

Today, our nation stands at a threshold. There are important issues on which we must focus, and as we do so, keep in mind that these are times, when we should also be on our guard, about not straying away from our main objective, of strengthening the nation in its many aspects. This is a time for introspection, a time to take well thought out measures, and to prepare well for the future. There have been occasions earlier, when confronted with many questions, we did find answers. The real strength of a nation is judged not by the challenges it faces, but by its responses. Therefore, as we analyze, make policies, legislate, implement schemes and enforce laws, we must not, forget that the purpose of all our efforts is to move on the path of progress while ensuring that morals and ethics in our society do not get eroded.

India is the world’s largest democracy. The country has performed well economically with a growth rate of 8.6 percent last year. We are committed to the welfare of all and are pursuing an inclusive growth agenda. There is much promise, much potential, much hope and much optimism about our future prospects. I point this out so that, as we deal with the challenges, we should not be unmindful of either our achievements; or of our past; or the principles on which our freedom, Constitution and democracy rest; or very importantly, of our future. Our actions today, our decisions today, will fashion our tomorrow. A deep sense of responsibility is a call of our times. All institutions and all citizens, have to demonstrate great maturity and, if I may say so, a degree of self-restraint, as we deal with our problems.

Corruption is a cancer affecting our nation’s political, economic, cultural and social life. It is necessary to eliminate it. Government, Parliament, Judiciary and society at large, should ponder about this, and find out ways to handle it in a manner that is practical, implementable and sustainable. There cannot be just one panacea or remedy to deal with it, but a system of transparency and accountability should be put in place at various levels, and, then, effectively enforced. It would require preventive and punitive measures, as well as adoption of rational approaches as we pursue the anti-corruption agenda. India is known for its sobriety and wisdom, balanced and sensible thinking. As is said in one of our shlokas, “अति सर्वत्र वर्जयेत ”, which means that anything in extreme should be avoided. We need strong institutions and we need good governance in the country. Our institutions need to be fortified and our governance constantly improved. We should analyze the situation and find considered solutions to address the challenges we are facing in a thoughtful manner.

As we look at our past performance, we can draw strength from the fact, that the framework of our Constitution has served us well. The institutions created by it – the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary – have been stable and have achieved much. The separation of powers, the elaborate system of checks and balances, have given our country a governance structure in which equilibrium is maintained, when every institution respects the field of responsibility of the others. Credibility of institutions depends upon their conduct, which must be in accordance with the constitutional framework. We should strengthen them and their ability to take corrective actions, whenever required. There should be no effort, consciously or otherwise, that will lead to the erosion of institutional credibility and authority.

Dear Citizens,

Parliament represents people from all parts of our country and a broad spectrum of political thought. Its legislation is an outcome of collective thinking and application of minds. Many path-breaking laws have been made by the Parliament of our country. New laws will also be formulated by legislative bodies. There can be discussions, debates, discourses among the people of the country for public opinion to emerge, which is an essential input in a true democracy. The different shades of opinion should be channelized, through elected representatives for the formulation of necessary legislation. We should not forget that we have to preserve the democratic values of our country and, for this, healthy conventions of parliamentary procedures should be upheld. Members of Parliament can contribute immensely to issues of national development. There are several instances of commendable initiatives being taken by our elected representatives, including one where young Parliamentarians in the country have come together, cutting across all party lines, to work on malnutrition. I appreciate these initiatives. There is possibility of other such issues which could be collectively addressed by Parliamentarians belonging to all political parties.

Moreover, I strongly feel good electoral practices are linked with a strong functional democracy. Various proposals have been made, from time to time, to reform the electoral process, including on State funding of elections and debarring the participation of criminals in elections. These should be examined early for adoption as a part of our efforts to further enhance the healthy functioning of our democracy and to cleanse the system.

Dear Citizens,

The Census has just been completed in our country. We are now a nation of 1.2 billion, constituting about a sixth of the global population. We will reap a demographic dividend, only when our population is educated and equipped with the necessary skills. This entails a focus on education and skill development, to build their capacities to meet the requirements of the nation. They can add immensely to India’s economy – in the service sector, cutting edge technologies, manufacturing, industry, and agriculture. We are a country shaped by the experiences, sacrifices and hard work of our citizens. Indians have shown tremendous enterprise and there are many success stories. They have earned goodwill for the country wherever they are working or they are settled. They have done us proud. Moreover, we must inculcate respect for pluralism, harmonious living and compassion, all of which are a part of our legacy of always upholding the highest human values.

The underlying purpose of our work is to provide to all citizens, opportunities of progress and to eradicate poverty, hunger, disease and illiteracy. I have always said that, it is a growing Gross Domestic Product along with the welfare of the people, that are the twin pillars of a progressive nation. Today, anti-poverty programmes, social welfare schemes, and a commitment to ensure food security, form the core of our inclusive agenda strategy. There are also a host of special economic packages for the under-developed regions of our nation. Welfare schemes create an entitlement for individuals belonging to identified groups. Delivering the benefits to them is our duty and lack of delivery, a failure. Government efforts need to be supported by voluntary agencies, NGOs and, indeed, by citizens themselves who can be development partners of the Government. Implementation needs to be done in a transparent manner and by creating accountability and integrity in functioning. The country cannot afford the loss of resources meant for its development.

We must persist with our efforts to bridge differentials in economic growth in the country. 68 percent of our population continues to reside in rural areas with a majority dependent on agriculture. Yet, agriculture is one area where we are yet to reach full potential. We need a model to revolutionalize agriculture, from the time when agricultural operations start, till harvest is reaped and beyond, where post-harvest processing aspects are addressed. Institutions linked to making available credit, seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, have to be pro-active and work in co-ordination with each other. There should be greater use of technology in the agricultural sector to enhance productivity. Also, issues and problems relating to dry land farming, including labour shortage require to be addressed in a focused manner. We may need to examine whether existing rural employment programmes, can be utilized for agricultural land of farmers, whether small holders or otherwise, in rainfed areas. This will help to stabilize agriculture in these areas. At the same time, warehousing and cold storage facilities for agricultural produce in the country require to be augmented. Decentralized warehousing will make food distribution not only easier and quicker, but it would be a low cost option that also cuts on wastage during transportation. I have on several occasions called on the corporate sector, as well as small and medium enterprises to seriously engage with agriculturists and farmers, particularly in the rainfed areas, to avail of the many opportunities of working together for mutual benefit. Let the public sector entities take the lead in this regard. The integration of agriculture with the other sectors of the economy would not only be useful for agriculture, but would generate positive impulses in other sectors as well.

Our Census sadly shows that there has been a decline in the gender ratio in the 0 to 6 age group. It has touched a low level of 914 girls as compared to a 1000 boys. It reflects the continuing preference of boys in our society and the bias against the girl child. We need to fight social prejudices which have resulted in this situation, and also work to eradicate the practices of dowry, child marriage and female foeticide, which we are continuing to battle even in the 21st Century. Let each citizen of the country vow to fight these social evils. There are laws against them but we need to ensure compliance and create awareness. Moreover, crime against women needs to be dealt with most sternly. Women and men are the two wheels of the chariot of the nation and both need to be strong. Women have tremendous capabilities and capacities to contribute in any field, when given an opportunity. We have seen the success of the movement of the Self Help Groups in our country. Eighty percent of them are all-women groups. They operate at the lower rung of the economic strata and carry out activities on a limited scale. These groups have provided women not only with possibilities of income generating activity, but have given them confidence and a sense of self-esteem. Government should pro-actively take measures to universalize this movement, which will be beneficial to our agenda of women’s empowerment.

Dear Citizens,

Events of far reaching consequences are taking place in the world. In a globalised world, these developments have ramifications beyond borders. We are all aware of the consequences of the global financial meltdown of 2008. Uncertainty is again confronting the world economy, and would need to be tackled through co-ordinated global action, as also by suitable precautionary measures in our country. Our economy has fundamental strength and resilience, and its large domestic market can help it maintain steady growth rates. However, price rise is an issue engaging our attention, and would have to be dealt with. Rising prices affects families and especially those of our fellow citizens living below the poverty line. Efforts must be made to find ways and means to soften the impact of inflation, so that the benefits of growth are not blunted.

Also, we are all aware of the threats that terrorism is posing to peace everywhere. The attack in Mumbai last month is yet another grim reminder of the destruction that can be caused by terrorism. We need to be ever-vigilant, to fight this menace which is a global phenomenon.

Dear Citizens,

I recall the words of Swami Vivekanand, “this national ship of ours my countrymen, has been plying for ages, carrying civilization and enriching the whole world with its inestimable treasures.” Dear Citizens, the challenge for us, is how effectively we carry forward the nation from now onwards. Let history be the judge that during our time, we found the right answers to the challenges we faced, and acquitted ourselves with dignity and continued to work with unity, to build the India of our dreams.

Dawn will break tomorrow and our flag will flutter. Whatever task you are doing in the interest of the country is important, and I call on all citizens to pledge, that they will work with full commitment and dedication, honesty and integrity and with a sense of pride. If we do this, there is much that we will be able to achieve as a nation.

With these words, I wish all citizens the very best on the occasion of Independence Day.

JAI HIND!
India’s president said Sunday that corruption is “a cancer” affecting all aspects of life in the country, as the government prepares to pass contentious new anti-graft laws.

Corruption has become a key political issue in rapidly-developing India after a series of scandals that sparked widespread public anger over alleged financial malpractice among senior officials.

Pratibha Patil used her speech on the eve of Independence Day to admit that graft bedevilled the everyday lives of many Indians and she called for action to tackle the problem.

“Corruption is a cancer affecting our nation’s political, economic, cultural and social life. It is necessary to eliminate it,” she said in a speech broadcast on television and radio.

“There cannot be just one panacea or remedy to deal with it, but a system of transparency and accountability should be put in place at various levels, and then effectively enforced,” she said.

The president holds little executive power in India, but her words come as politicians wrangle over an anti-graft bill that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is trying to push through parliament.

Independence day speech
On the eve of India’s independence, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru famous speech “Tryst with Destiny” marked the beginning of a free India with words symbolizing hope and triumph.

India got its independence from the clutches of British rule on 15th August 1947. It was this day when India’s tricolor flag was unfolded by Pandit Nehru on the barricades of the Red Fort at Delhi. Each and every patriotic soul watched with excitement and paid tribute to thousands of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for India’s freedom.

The Independence Day of India is a moment of delight and grandeur but to achieve it the nation had to put up a long battle for over two centuries against the British Empire. At last on 3rd June 1947, the last British Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, declared the separation of the British Empire in India into India and Pakistan. The announcement was made under the terms of the Indian Independence Act 1947.

Independence Day celebrations in India

Independence Day is considered as a national holiday in India. The arrangement begins a month before the D-day and the roads are embellished with ribbons and Indian flags.

Flag-hoisting ceremonies are executed all over India by state governments. However, the chief event is conducted in the capital city of India, New Delhi where the Prime Minister of India unfurls the tricolor at the barricades of Red Fort which receives a salutation of 21 guns, and addresses the nation with his speech.

The Prime Minister’s speech holds major importance as it pays tribute to the great souls who sacrificed their lives for nation’s independence and reveals the achievements of the nation during the past year beside discussing significant issues and proposing steps for further growth.

A vibrant parade exhibiting India’s cultural multiplicity, emblematic portrayals of the nation’s developments in science and technology, a collaborative parade of India’s armed competencies by the three forces and patriotic skits and dramas by school children are an integral part of the Independence Day festivities.

On this day the skyline of the capital city gets sprinkled with innumerable multicolored kites. People indulge in kite flying competitions and children cheer aloud elevating the spirit of the day.

Address by President Pratibha Patil on 65th I-Day evening
President Pratibha Patil Independence Day Speech Dated 14-Aug-2011
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