Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday (August 15, 2026) urged all events to help the implementation of ladies’s reservation in Parliament and State assemblies with out making it a political combat, and known as upon the youth to imagine management roles throughout society and the financial system in direction of the dream of creating India developed by 2047.
In his thirteenth consecutive Independence Day tackle to the nation, the Prime Minister additionally hailed the elimination of Maoism from the nation however cautioned in opposition to decreasing the guard, saying “armed Naxals might have gone, however dimagi [ideological] Naxals are lurking round”.
In his 75-minute speech on the nation’s eightieth Independence Day, Mr. Modi listed seven streams (saptadharas) — manufacturing, energy, agriculture and meals processing, know-how and innovation, gatishakti, defence energy, inexperienced financial system and blue financial system, and delicate energy — to drive India ahead and take the nation to larger heights.
On the problem of implementation of ladies reservation, which has been a political flashpoint between the federal government and the opposition since a delimitation-linked structure modification invoice was defeated in Parliament in April, Mr. Modi mentioned, “Standing right here immediately beneath the tricolour on the ramparts of the Crimson Fort, I attraction to and urge all of the political events of the nation: come and venerate the ladies energy.”
“Come ahead to honour girls and make sure that our moms and sisters safe 33% illustration within the Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha as quickly as doable. Allow them to contribute to shaping India’s insurance policies. You could take the credit score, chances are you’ll declare the accolades, however please grant our moms and sisters their due rights,” he mentioned.
Mr. Modi mentioned the matter has been caught for 40 years as a result of political wrangling.
On Maoism, he mentioned people with Maoist mindset had entrenched themselves inside the corridors of energy within the nation for many years. “We’ve succeeded in eliminating armed Naxals within the forests and releasing the nation from that disaster. Nevertheless, whereas the armed Naxals are gone, ‘dimagi Naxals’ [ideological] are nonetheless lurking round, and those that harbour this mindset are ready for a possibility,” he mentioned.
“They’re using varied techniques to tug society down the incorrect path. We should determine these ‘Dimagi Naxals.’ We have to isolate them and align the nation’s youth with the mainstream effort to remodel the nation right into a developed nation,” he mentioned. Previously, the Prime Minister has used the time period ‘city naxals’ for such individuals.
The Prime Minister known as for creating a vibrant and powerful civil defence infrastructure and pitched for making India a world hub for defence manufacturing, putting particular emphasis on self-reliance in superior capabilities comparable to hypersonic know-how and drone methods.
He additionally promised to supply free on-line teaching for varied exams, as he rued teaching courses changing into a burden for the poor and the center class.
“Conserving the issues of poor and middle-class households in thoughts, we need to assist save them the hundreds of crores of rupees they spend on teaching. Our younger individuals ought to be capable of keep near their households, obtain their care, and keep away from putting a further monetary burden on them,” he mentioned.
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Mr. Modi mentioned India is a powerful contender to host the 2036 Olympics. To make sure that the nation has a powerful presence within the mega occasion, a nationwide expertise hunt can be launched to determine prospects within the age group of 5 to fifteen. He known as for increasing into sports activities disciplines the place the nation has not been qualifying to this point.
Highlighting the strides the nation made throughout his tenure, he mentioned India has remodeled from ‘Fragile 5’ to the world’s fastest-growing main financial system within the final 12 years.
Mr. Modi additionally warned that the weaponisation of sources and strategic sea routes by some international locations posed dangers to India’s financial safety, calling for larger self-reliance in vitality to scale back the nation’s vulnerability to abroad provides.
He mentioned India wanted to strengthen home capability in crucial areas, together with vitality and minerals, as geopolitical tensions more and more uncovered the dangers of dependence on exterior sources.
Mr. Modi additionally mentioned India has taken a step in direction of changing into self-reliant within the nuclear energy sector, with the Prototype Quick Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, attaining criticality this 12 months.
“Vitality safety is immediately’s want, and that is why now we have already taken steps on this path. We’ve handed the SHANTI Act in Parliament and set a goal of reaching 100 GW nuclear energy by 2047,” he mentioned. India has additionally set a goal of establishing 5 new nuclear reactors.
The prime minister mentioned “misinformation” was being unfold by some individuals through the Covid-19 pandemic, by saying India will not get vaccines. He added that because the West Asia disaster occurred, “some individuals tried to scare us that we are going to not get petrol, diesel or LPG”.
“Because of our measures there isn’t a scarcity of gasoline, gasoline, urea within the nation immediately. We proved naysayers incorrect by making certain adequate vitality provides throughout West Asia disaster. Some individuals weaponised methods at their disposal throughout occasions of disaster, however our self-reliance helped us,” he mentioned The prime minister exhorted Indians to dream huge to attain the objective of a developed India by 2047, saying the world shall be pressured to have a look at the nation in a different way as “we work in direction of reaching this dream”.
He mentioned Vande Mataram echoed from the ramparts of Crimson Fort for the primary time since independence. Stressing on the dream of a ‘Viksit Bharat’, he additionally paid wealthy tributes to freedom fighters, together with Mahatma Gandhi, and remembered their sacrifices.
Printed – August 15, 2026 10:44 am IST
