United Nations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the various welfare schemes initiated by his government gave “the world a new hope” for a better tomorrow as he exuded confidence that the experience from these projects could be beneficial to those nations, who like India, are striving for development.
Addressing the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly here, Modi said, “When a developing country is able to successfully implement the world’s biggest sanitation campaign within the ‘Clean India Mission’, building over 110 million toilets in just five years for its countrymen, all its achievements and outcomes are an inspirational message for the entire world.”
Referring to the Aadhaar initiative, Modi said, “When a developing country, launches for its citizens, the world’s biggest digital identification program, giving them a biometric identity, thereby ensuring they can avail of their rights, and saves more than 20 billion dollars by checking corruption, the modern systems that result from it, give the world a new hope.”
Modi underlined that the public welfare projects initiated by his government are not is “not confined within the borders of India”, but for the entire world.
“And that is the reason we draw inspiration from our motto: collective efforts, for growth of all, with everyone’s trust. Our endeavours, are neither an expression of pity, nor a pretence.
They are inspired by a sense of duty, and duty alone,” he said.
All the endeavours, Modi said, are centred on 1.3 billion Indians. But the dreams that these efforts are trying to fulfil, are the same dreams that the entire world, every country and society has.
“The efforts are ours, but their fruits are for all, for the entire world. And this conviction of mine, gets stronger every day, when I think of those countries, who, just like India, are striving for development, each in their own way…when I get to know about their dreams, my resolve to develop my country at a faster pace gets even stronger, so that India’s experience can be beneficial to these countries,” the prime minister said.
Highlighting the ‘Ayushman Bharat’ scheme, Modi said, “When a developing country, successfully runs the world’s biggest health insurance scheme, giving 500 million people the facility of an annual health cover of Rs 500,000 for free treatment, the achievements and responsive systems that result from this scheme show the world a new path.”
. Modi delivered his second address to the General Debate at the UN, five years after his maiden speech as Indian Prime Minister in 2014.
Reflecting on the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Modi said, “When a developing country, successfully runs the world’s biggest financial inclusion scheme, opening over 370 million bank accounts for the poor in just five years, the systems that result, build confidence in the poor across the entire world.”
Call to unite against terrorism
Modi also exhorted the international community to stand united against terrorism, which he described as one of the biggest challenges not for any single country, but for the entire world.
Modi lamented the lack of unanimity amongst the member states on the issue of terrorism, saying it dents those very principles, that are the basis for the creation of the United Nations.
“We believe, that this is one of the biggest challenges, not for any single country, but for the entire world and humanity,” Modi said while speaking in Hindi. (PTI)
