Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made another attempt to reach out to the youth of the country, calling them as the primary driving force behind the country’s rapid advancements in manufacturing, innovation, and the digital economy.
While addressing the public at a gathering after the inauguration of the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Youth Centre, Viveka Smaraka in Karnataka’s Mysuru, the PM invoked the revolutionary icon’s vision to emphasise that education, equality, and service are foundational to national progress.
He added that India’s rise as a global hub for mobile production, semiconductor manufacturing and the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem is the result of the capabilities of its youth.
“Today, India is rapidly moving forward in its new journey of semiconductor manufacturing because of the strength of India’s youth. Today, India’s economy is among the fastest growing in the world, again because of the strength of India’s youth. India is now the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem, thanks to the strength of its youth. India has also become the world’s second-largest mobile phone manufacturer because of the strength of India’s youth. Digital solutions developed in India are inspiring many countries across the world, again due to the strength of India’s youth,” he said.
Reflecting on educational reforms and historical progress in India, PM Modi added, “The youth who were once shackled by the chains of slavery are now accelerating the pace of global development. Swami Vivekananda considered the education of youth to be the strongest foundation for nation-building.”
“Our educational institutions play a pivotal role in this. Today, India has around 1.4 lakh MBBS seats, while the number of medical colleges has increased to 823. The National Education Policy is becoming a vehicle to prepare India’s youth for the 21st century,” he added.
The strong emphasis on country’s youth in his speech is his another attempt to reach out to them in the aftermath of students protest against NEET paper leak.