Prime Minister Narendra Modi says India is building new capabilities through Atmanirbharta

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India is building new capabilities through Atmanirbharta or Self-Reliance. In his Mann Ki Baat programme, Mr Modi said, the common man of the country has felt the transformation and there is extraordinary hope. He said, on account of Corona, COVID-19 pandemic, the world has faced numerous hurdles in terms of supply chains, but in India, we learnt a new lesson with every crisis and built capabilities.

Speaking about the message of Abhinav Banerjee of Delhi who wrote his experience that customers are demanding India made products and shopkeepers are selling made in India products, Mr Modi said, it is a big transformation in the mindset. He said, a major change has come up in the minds of the countrymen within a year. He said, it is not easy to gauge this change and even economists would not be able to assess their parameters.

The Prime Minister said, we have to cherish this sentiment, preserve it and keep nurturing it as well. He urged countrymen to prepare a list of whatever items they use throughout the day, analyse it and figure out how we can make these products in India. PM Modi underlined the need to patronise products made with the hard work and sweat of the people of India.

The Prime Minister said, people make New Year resolutions every year and this time one has to certainly resolve for the sake of the country.

The Prime Minister said, it is the opportune moment to work with the ethos of zero effect, zero defect. He urged manufacturers and industry leaders that it is time to ensure that the products meet global standards. He called upon the entrepreneurs and Start-ups to come forward.

Mr Modi expressed happiness that in India, between 2014 and 2018, the number of leopards has risen by more than 60 per cent. The Prime Minister said, this is a big achievement for the year given the fact that the number of leopards across the world has been shrinking. In such circumstances, the continued growth of the population of leopards in India has been exemplary and shown a way to the entire world. Mr Modi said, in the past few years, the population of lions and tigers in India is on the rise and also there has been an increase in India's forest cover. He applauded the efforts of people, civil society, institutions who are engaged in conserving the flora and fauna.

Giving examples of people who are taking care of animals in different parts of the country, the Prime Minister said, the sensitivity is inspiring and can happen only when a person is filled with kindness and compassion towards all life forms. He said, such efforts should be commended. Mr Modi called upon everyone to encourage such acts of care with a sense of service to others. He said, this is a noble act that strengthens the sensitivity of society.

Speaking about a team of youth from Karnataka called Yuva Brigade, which renovated and transformed an ancient temple in Srirangpatna, the Prime Minister said, passion and firm commitment are two means through which people can achieve every goal. Mr Modi said, when he sees the youth of India, he feels delighted and assured because the youth of the country have the 'Can Do' approach and the 'Will Do' spirit in them. He said, no challenge is too big for them and nothing is impossible for them.

Mentioning about a teacher from Tamil Nadu who made animated videos for her students, Mr Modi said, all over the country during this corona time, teachers have adopted many innovative methods and creatively prepared course material. He requested all the teachers to upload the course materials on the Diksha Portal of the Education Ministry which will help students a lot who are staying in far-flung areas of the country.

He also spoke about Hiraman of Korwa tribe of Jharkhand who has created a dictionary of Korwa language after an untiring toil of 12 years.

The Prime Minister said, Saffron has been associated with Kashmir for centuries and in May this year, the Kashmiri Saffron was given the Geographical Indication Tag, GI tag. He said, through this, the Government wants to make Kashmiri Saffron a Globally Popular Brand. After obtaining the GI Tag certificate, Kashmiri Saffron was launched in a supermarket in Dubai. He said, now its exports will get a boost and it will further strengthen the efforts to build an Atmanirbhar Bharat. Farmers growing saffron will be especially benefited by this. Mr Modi told a resident of Tral in Pulwama selling his GI Tagged Saffron with the help of National Saffron Mission at the Trading Center in Pampore through E-Trading. He said, next time people decide to buy saffron, think of buying saffron from Kashmir. He said, the warmth of Kashmiri people imparts a unique, distinct flavour to the saffron.

Speaking about Gita Jayanti which was celebrated two days ago, Mr Modi said, the Gita inspires people in every sphere of life. He said, Gita is a wonderful ure because it is the voice of Lord Krishna himself. The Prime Minister said, the uniqueness of the Gita also lies in that it begins with the quest of knowledge. He said, like the Gita, all the wisdom in our culture starts with inquisitiveness. Mr Modi said, curiosity constantly inspires people to learn something new.

Mentioning about 92-year-old T. Srinivasacharya Swami of Tamil Nadu, who is writing a book and typing it in computer himself, Mr Modi said, as long as there is curiosity, the process of learning something new continues. No age, no circumstance, matters at all in it. He said, there still is as much curiosity in the mind of Mr Swami and self-confidence as it was in his youth. He said, with the advent of the computer, when Mr Swami realized that the method of writing and printing books had changed, he learnt the computer and necessary software at the age of 86. The Prime Minister said, life remains full of energy, as long as the curiosity in life, the desire to learn, do not die.

Mr Modi said, some people continuously keep on doing something new and keep on fulfilling new resolutions. He mentioned Pradeep Sangwan of Gurugram who is running a campaign Healing Himalayas since 2016. The Prime Minister said, Mr Sangwan goes to different areas in the Himalayas with his team and volunteers where they clean plastic waste dumped there by tourists. So far, he has cleaned tons of plastic from various tourist locations in the Himalayas.

He also spoke about a young couple from Karnataka, Anudeep and Minusha who got married last month in November. Mr Modi said, the couple decided to clean up the garbage that people have left behind at the Someshwar beach. It was the first resolve that both husband and wife took after marriage. Together they cleaned up a lot of garbage from the beach. Later several young people joined them and cleaned more than 800 kg of waste from Someshwar beach. Mr Modi said, we should take a resolve that we will not leave garbage at all. He said, after all, this is also the first resolution of the Swachh Bharat Mission. He said, making the country free from single-use plastic is one of the resolutions of 2021.

The Prime Minister paid tributes to Sahibzaade Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, the sons of Guru Gobind Singh who were buried alive on this day. He said in order to protect our millennia-old culture, civilization and traditions from the cruel misdemeanours of tyrants and tormentors many supreme sacrifices were made. The tyrants wanted the Sahibzade to renounce their faith and abandon the teachings of the great Guru tradition, but the Sahibzade showed amazing courage and determination even at that tender age. He said, Guru Gobind Singh ji's mother Mata Gujari had attained martyrdom on this day. The Prime Minister said, about a week ago, it was the Martyrdom Day of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji and he was blessed with the opportunity to visit Gurudwara Rakabganj to offer floral tributes and pay obeisance to Guru Tegh Bahadur ji. He said, the martyrdom served as a new beacon of learning for the entire humanity and the country. Mr Modi said, everyone is indebted to this martyrdom. Bowing to the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, Mata Gujari, Guru Gobind Singh and the four Sahibzade, he said several such sacrifices have preserved the present fabric of India, keeping it intact.

The Prime Minister extended his best wishes to people of the country for the New Year.