New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke for 86 minutes on Saturday while addressing the nation on the 74th Independence Day and touched upon a wide range of topics from coronavirus to Ladakh clash and the minimum age for women to get married.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s main focus remained on the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission and coronavirus pandemic and the fight against it. However, he also touched upon a number of issues and announced new measures such as the National Digital Health Mission.

Top quotes from PM Modi’s Independence Day speech:

1. Prime Minister Modi once again reiterated the mission of Atmanirbhar Bharat or the aim to make India self-reliant. PM Modi said, “The mindset of free India should be `vocal for local`. We should appreciate our local products, if we don`t do this then our products will not get the opportunity to do better and will not get encouraged.” PM Modi further added, “Today, many big companies are turning towards India. We have to move forward with the mantra of ‘Make for World’ along with ‘Make in India’.”

2. Touching upon the ongoing strife with China in Ladakh, PM Modi once again said that those who dared to challenge India’s sovereignty were given a befitting response by the Indian soldiers in Ladakh. PM Modi said, “Protecting India’s sovereignty is of prime importance to us. What we can do and our soldiers can do to protect this sovereignty, the world has seen with the events in Ladakh.”

3. PM Modi said the government is reconsidering the minimum age for marriage of women and daughters of the country. In his Independence Day speech, PM Modi said, “We have set up a committee to reconsider the minimum age for marriage of our daughters. We will take appropriate decision after the committee submits its report.”

4. PM Modi also announced the Nation Digital Health Mission and said every Indian will have their own Health ID. This ID and the health profile will have all details like the diseases they have, the treatment they have received, doctor visits, medicines being used etc.

5. Speaking of the coronavirus vaccines being developed in the country, PM Modi said that not one, India has three vaccine candidates going through different stages of clinical trials. PM Modi also said that once these vaccines get all required clearances, mass-scale production will be started and all arrangements are already in place to make them available to all Indians.

6. In his Independence Day speech, PM Modi announced an agriculture infrastructure fund of Rs 1 lakh crore. PM Modi said, “An important priority of `Aatmanirbhar Bharat` is Aatmanirbhar agriculture and Aatmanirbhar farmer. To provide modern infrastructure to the farmers of the country, an `Agriculture Infrastructure Fund` of Rs 1 lakh crore has been created.”

7. On Jammu and Kashmir completing 1 year as a Union Territory, PM Modi said, “This one year is a year of the new journey of development for Jammu and Kashmir. Delimitation exercise is being carried out in Jammu and Kashmir, the country is committed towards the completion of this work so that elections are held and people`s representatives are elected there.”

8. PM Modi also spoke on the Ram Mandir construction and the bhoomi pujan ceremony he performed on August 5 in Ayodhya. PM Modi said, “Construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya started 10 days ago. Ramjanmabhoomi issue that prevailed for centuries, has been resolved peacefully. The conduct of people of the country has been unprecedented and is an inspiration for future.”

9. PM Narendra Modi also touched upon the biodiversity in India and said the number of tigers in India has gone up over the past few years. PM Modi said tiger and lion population in the country has gone up exponentially and now the government will launch ‘Project Lion’ for the conservation of Asiatic lions in India.

10. Addressing the nation Independence Day, PM Narendra said, “We are expanding NCC in border areas and special training will be provided to about 1 lakh new NCC cadets.”

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