Nothing is impossible for India today, PM says on Gaganyaan test success; `govt is working with long-term vision’

PTI, Oct 22, 2023, 8:05 AM IST

Nothing is impossible for India today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said hours after the completion of a key test in the country’s ambitious human space flight mission Gaganyaan, and averred that his government was working with a long-term vision since it came to power.

Several ”pending” works such as the abrogation of Article 370, banning of triple talaq and implementation of the Goods and Services Tax have been accomplished in the last ten years, he said, speaking at the 125th foundation day of The Scindia School here. He also praised the contribution of the Scindia family, the erstwhile rulers of the Gwalior state. Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is the president of the school’s Board of Governors, was also present. “I became prime minister in 2014. After that our government started work with a long-term vision. Our government has abrogated Article 370, (a task) which was pending for 60 years, implemented One Rank One Pension scheme (for defence forces) and GST which were pending for 40 years, triple talaq (ban which was pending) for decades and women’s reservation (in legislatures) that was pending for years during a tenure of ten years as part of the long-term vision,” Modi said.

His government has accomplished so many things that they can not be listed ”even in one whole night,” he added. “Today morning itself we successfully tested Gaganyaan,” the prime minister said, referring to the completion of the first unmanned test flight in India’s ambitious human space flight mission Gaganyaan at Sriharikota. He also mentioned plans for launching a space station, success of the Tejas fighter jet program and indigenously built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. “Nothing is impossible for India today,” the prime minister said. Noting that the Shatabdi Express trains were introduced when the late Madhavrao Scindia was railway minister, Modi said after that, no new trains with modern amenities were started in the country for decades. His government introduced modern Vande Bharat and Namo Bharat trains, he added. On August 23, India took a giant leap when Chandrayaan-3 became the first space mission to land successfully on the moon’s South Pole, the prime minister said.

India has now the world’s third largest start-up ecosystem, the prime minister said, adding that from 100 in 2014, the number of start-ups has risen to nearly one lakh. Further, India has the world’s second largest base of Internet users and stands second in mobile phone manufacturing too, Modi added.

His government has also opened the space sector for the youth, the prime minister said.

Modi called upon The Scindia School students to adopt a village, focus on cleanliness, remain ”vocal for local”, raise awareness about the benefits of natural farming among farmers, adopt a poor family, consume millets, and practice yoga, among other things.

“Next 25 years of your life are crucial for you and the country. Make a resolve to make the country a developed nation in the next 25 years with the `nation first’ approach,” he said.

”Think out of the box. The world is yours,” the prime minister said.

He also released a commemorative postage stamp on the school on this occasion.

Praising the Scindia family, Modi said their past generations built ghats along the Ganga in Varanasi and provided financial help for setting up Banaras Hindu University. The Scindia rulers were far-sighted and promoted water conservation and education in their state, the prime minister said, adding that the Harsi dam in Gwalior, built with mud, meets water needs of the people even after decades. Very few people perhaps know that a company started by the Scindias later became the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), he said. Famous personalities like actor Salman Khan, singer Nitin Mukesh and radio announcer Ameen Sayani were alumni of this school, the prime minister noted. Nitin Mukesh, notably, was present at the program.

Union minister Scindia in his speech recalled that when information technology was introduced in the country in the 1980s, Scindia School was the first institute in the country to include it in the curriculum. Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangu Bhai Patel, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh (an alumnus of The Scindia School) were also present on the occasion.