The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the Start-up Mahakumbh at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi today. He also took a walkthrough of the exhibition showcased on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of Start-up Mahakumbh and emphasized the country’s roadmap of working to become a Viksit Bharat by 2047. The Prime Minister highlighted India’s making a mark in the IT and software sector in the last few decades and underlined the emerging trends of innovation and start-up culture. Therefore, the Prime Minister said, the presence of people from the world of start-ups underlines the importance of today’s occasion. Dwelling on the success of start-ups in the country, the Prime Minister drew attention to the genius element that makes them successful. He acknowledged the presence of investors, incubators, academicians, researchers, industry members, and present and future entrepreneurs and said, “This is indeed a Mahakumbh in its truest form creating an unprecedented energy and vibe.” The Prime Minister mentioned experiencing the same vibe when he was visiting the sports and exhibition stalls where people showcased their innovations with great pride. “Any Indian visiting the Start-up Mahakumbh will witness the unicorns and decacorns of the future”, PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction over the growth of the startup ecosystem in the country due to the right policies. He recalled the initial reluctance and indifference towards the concept of startup in society. Innovative ideas found a platform over a period of time under Startup India, he said.  He commented on the development of an ecosystem through connecting ideas with funding sources, and incubators in academic institutions which gave facilities to the youth of tier 2 and tier 3 cities. “Startup has become a social culture and no one can stop a social culture”, said.

The Prime Minister said that the startup revolution is being led by small cities and that too in a wide range of sectors including agriculture, textiles, medicine, transport, space, yoga and ayurveda. Elaborating on space startups, the Prime Minister said that Indian startups are working in more than 50 areas in the space sector, including the launch of the space shuttle.

The Prime Minister commented on the changing mindset about startups. He said that startups have changed the psyche that a lot of money is needed to start a business. He commended the youth of the country for choosing the path of becoming a job creator rather than a job seeker.

“India is the third largest startup ecosystem with 1.25 lakh startups involving 12 lakh youth who are directly linked with them”, he said. The Prime Minister asked the entrepreneurs to be vigilant about filing their patents quickly. GeM portal has provided more than 20,000 crore rupees to businesses and startups. He praised the youth for getting into new areas. The Prime Minister stated that the start-ups launched on the policy platforms are reaching new heights today.

Underlining the impetus provided by Digital India to start-ups, the Prime Minister said that it is a huge inspiration and suggested colleges take it up as a case study. He mentioned UPI becoming a pillar of support for the fin-tech start-ups which lead the development of innovative products and services for the expansion of digital services in the country. He recalled the huge queues of industry and world leaders at a booth that was set up in Bharat Mandapam during the G20 Summit explaining the working of UPI and offering a trial run. This, the Prime Minister said, has strengthened financial inclusion and reduced the rural and urban divide, while also democratizing technology. The Prime Minister expressed delight that more than 45 percent of start-ups in the country are women-led, be it education, agriculture or health.

The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the culture of innovation for humanity, not just for Viksit Bharat. He mentioned India’s initiative to provide a platform for the global startup under Startup-20 which treats startups as the growth engine. He also talked of India’s upper hand in AI.

The Prime Minister underlined the numerous opportunities being created for both young innovators and global investors with the advent of the AI industry and mentioned the National Quantum Mission, India AI Mission and Semiconductor Mission. Shri Modi recalled discussing AI during his address at the US Senate a while ago and assured that India will continue to be a leader in this sector. “I believe that Indian solutions for global applications will become a helping hand for many nations in the world”, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister acknowledged the global desire to learn from Indian youth through hackathons etc. Solutions tested in Indian conditions have global acceptance, he said. He mentioned the National Research Foundation and 1 lakh crore fund for research and planning for the needs of the future in the sunrise sector areas.

The Prime Minister asked the startups to give back to society by supporting individuals and institutions to come up in the startup sector. He asked them to visit incubation centers, schools and colleges and share their insights with the students. He narrated his experiences of involving the youth by throwing open the government problem statements for solutions through hackathons. He reported that many good solutions were adopted in the governance and a hackathon culture for finding solutions became established in the government. He asked businesses and MSMEs to follow suit. He asked Mahakumbh to come out with actionable points.

The Prime Minister underlined the contributions of the youth of India in making it the fifth largest economy in the world from the 11th position and also highlighted the role to be played by startups in fulfilling the guarantee to make India the third largest economy in the third term. Concluding the address, the Prime Minister said that interacting with the youngsters fills him with new energy as he conveyed his best wishes for the future.

Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Ministers of State Smt Anupriya Patel, and Shri Som Prakash were present on the occasion among others.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has replied to the President of Republic of Bulgaria, Mr Rumen Radev regarding the Indian Navy rescuing a hijacked Bulgarian ship “Ruen” and its crew members including 7 Bulgarian citizens. The Prime Minister expressed appreciation and emphasized India’s commitment to protecting freedom of navigation and combating piracy and terrorism in the Indian Ocean region.

The Prime Minister posted on X:

“Appreciate your message President of Republic of Bulgaria. We are happy that 7 Bulgarian nationals are safe and will be returning home soon. India is committed to protecting freedom of navigation and combating piracy and terrorism in the Indian Ocean region.”

The provisional figures of Direct Tax collections for the Financial Year 2023-24 (as on 17.03.2024) show that Net collections are at Rs. 18,90,259 crore, compared to Rs. 15,76,776 crore in the corresponding period of the preceding Financial Year (i.e. FY 2022-23), representing an increase of 19.88%.

The Net Direct Tax collection of Rs. 18,90,259 crore (as on 17.03.2024) includes Corporation Tax (CIT) at Rs. 9,14,469 crore (net of refund) and Personal Income Tax (PIT) including Securities Transaction Tax (STT) at Rs. 9,72,224 crore (net of refund).

The provisional figures of Gross collection of Direct Taxes (before adjusting for refunds) for the Financial Year 2023-24 stand at Rs. 22,27,067 crore compared to Rs. 18,75,535 crore in the corresponding period of the preceding financial year, showing a growth of 18.74% over the collections of FY 2022-23.

The Gross collection of Rs. 22,27,067 crore includes Corporation Tax (CIT) at Rs. 10,98,183 crore and Personal Income Tax (PIT) including Securities Transaction Tax (STT) at Rs. 11,25,228 crore. Minor head wise collection comprises Advance Tax of Rs. 9,11,534 crore; Tax Deducted at Source of Rs. 10,44,511 crore; Self-Assessment Tax of Rs. 1,73,296 crore; Regular Assessment Tax of Rs. 73,548 crore; and Tax under other minor heads of Rs. 24,177 crore.

Provisional figures of total Advance Tax collections for Financial Year 2023-24 (as on 17.03.2024) stand at Rs. 9,11,534 crore, against Advance Tax collections of Rs. 7,45,246 crore for the corresponding period of the immediately preceding Financial Year (i.e. FY 2022-23), showing a growth of 22.31%. The Advance Tax collection of Rs. 9,11,534 crore comprises Corporation Tax (CIT) at Rs. 6,72,899 crore and Personal Income Tax (PIT) at Rs. 2,38,628 crore.

Refunds amounting to Rs. 3,36,808 crore have also been issued in the FY 2023-24 till 17.03.2024, as compared to refunds of Rs. 2,98,758 crore issued in FY 2022-23, marking an increase of 12.74% over the refunds issued during the same period in the preceding year.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin on his re-election as the President of the Russian Federation. The Prime Minister also emphasized working together to further strengthen the time-tested Special & Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia in the years to come

The Prime Minister posted on X:

“Warm congratulations to H.E. Mr. Vladimir Putin on his re-election as the President of the Russian Federation. Look forward to working together to further strengthen the time-tested Special & Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia in the years to come.”

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held a telephonic conversation with US Secretary of Defence Mr Lloyd Austin on March 18, 2024. Both Ministers briefly discussed a range of bilateral, regional security and defence cooperation issues. They reviewed the recent bilateral events such as the INDUS-X Summit held in New Delhi in February 2024, and the bilateral Tri-Service exercise ‘Tiger Triumph’ which has also commenced in India on March 18, 2024.

The US Secretary of Defence appreciated the important role being played by the Indian Navy in conducting anti-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean Region. The two Ministers discussed ways and means to implement the India-US Defence Cooperation Roadmap which was concluded last year. Other defence industrial cooperation issues such as repair of US naval ships in Indian shipyards were also briefly discussed.

Both the Ministers had last met in New Delhi in November 2023 during the India-US Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met the Prime Minister of Bhutan H.E Dasho Tshering Tobgay in New Delhi, yesterday.

Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay is in India on an official visit, which is his first overseas visit after assuming office in February 2024.

Both leaders reviewed the progress in various areas of bilateral partnership, including infrastructure development, connectivity, energy, hydropower cooperation, people to people exchanges and development cooperation. They reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the special and unique India-Bhutan friendship.

The Prime Minister of Bhutan conveyed his deep appreciation for India’s role as a reliable, trusted and valued partner in Bhutan’s developmental priorities.

On behalf of His Majesty the King of Bhutan, PM Tshering Tobgay extended invitation to Prime Minister Modi to visit Bhutan next week. Prime Minister accepted the invitation.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the beneficiaries of PM SVANidhi scheme at JLN Stadium in Delhi today and distributed loans to 1 lakh street vendors (SVs) including 5,000 SVs from Delhi as part of the scheme. He handed over PM SVANidhi loan cheques to five beneficiaries. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of two additional corridors of Delhi Metro’s Phase 4.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister acknowledged the presence of lakhs of street vendors linked to the event through video conferencing from 100s of cities. Remembering the strength of street vendors during the pandemic, the Prime Minister underlined their importance in everyday life. The Prime Minister said that money has been transferred directly to the account of 1 lakh street vendors all over the country and to top it all, two additional corridors of Delhi Metro: Lajpat Nagar – Saket-G Block and Inderlok – Indraprastha were also launched today.

The Prime Minister acknowledged the lakhs of street vendors in the country who take care of the needs of their families with their hard work and self-respect. PM Modi underlined that even though their vending carts and shops might be small, their dreams are huge. He pointed out that the governments of the past did not take any interest in the welfare of street vendors which led to them facing disrespect and hardships. He observed that their need for funds was fulfilled by high-interest loans while untimely payments caused further disrespect and even higher interest rates. He also noted that they had no access to banks as they did not hold any loan guarantees. In such cases, availing bank loans had become impossible due to no bank accounts and the absence of business records. “Previous governments did not pay any heed to the needs of street vendors, nor did they make any effort to tackle their issues”, PM Modi said.

“This servant of yours has come out of poverty. I have lived in poverty. That is why those who have not been cared for by anyone, they were not only cared for but have been worshiped by Modi”, said the Prime Minister. He further said, those who did not have anything to give guarantee as collateral were assured of Modi’s Guarantee. He also praised the integrity of street vendors. He said that loans worth 10,20 and 50 thousand are being provided to street vendors depending upon their records and use of digital transactions. Up till now, 62 lakh beneficiaries have received assistance worth Rs 11,000 crores. He expressed delight that more than half of the beneficiaries are women.

Recalling the launch of PM SVANidhi Yojna during the covid pandemic, the Prime Minister threw light on a recent study which states that the income of street vendors has grown manifold and the digital records of purchases are also helping them avail benefits from the bank. He also informed that a cashback of Rs 1200 can be redeemed with digital transactions every year.

Highlighting the hardships faced by street vendors in their daily lives, the Prime Minister noted that many of them migrate from villages to cities to make a living. “PM SVANidi not only connects the beneficiaries to banks but also opens the doors to other government benefits”, PM Modi said, giving examples of free ration, free treatment and free gas connections. He also highlighted the transformative approach of One Nation One Ration Card scheme which allows availing free ration from anywhere across the country.

The Prime Minister said that out of 4 crore pucca houses, 1 crore have been allotted to the urban poor. Referring to the massive drive to provide pucca houses in place of jhuggis, the Prime Minister said that 3000 houses have already been completed in Delhi and 3500 houses are about to be completed. He also mentioned the rapid regularization of unauthorized colonies and PM Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana with an allocation of Rs 75,000.

“Central Government is working day and night to make the lives of the poor and the middle class easier in Delhi”, PM Modi said. He gave the example of building pucca houses for the middle class as well as the urban poor and informed that a subsidy of Rs 50,000 crores has been handed out for the construction of houses. He mentioned fast-paced work on metro services in dozens of cities and running electric buses to tackle the problems of pollution and traffic congestion. “Delhi Metro Network has expanded two times in the last 10 years”, the Prime Minister said highlighting that Delhi’s metro’s extensive network is among the select few cities in the world. He also mentioned NaMo Bharat rapid rail connectivity for Delhi NCR region. “Central Government is running more than 1000 electric buses in Delhi to curb pollution in the city”, PM Modi added. He also noted that numerous expressways have been built around Delhi to reduce pollution and traffic congestion as he recalled the inauguration of Dwarka Expressway earlier in the week.

Talking about the initiative for promoting sports among the youth, the Prime Minister mentioned Khelo India giving unprecedented opportunities to the youth from ordinary families as accessible facilities are coming and help is being provided for quality training for the athletes.

“Modi is relentlessly working to improve the lives of the poor and the middle classes. Modi’s thinking is ‘welfare of nation by the welfare of public’, eliminating corruption and appeasement from the roots and making India the world’s third-largest economy”, PM Modi emphasized.

The Prime Minister concluded, “Partnership of dreams of common citizens and Modi’s resolve is the guarantee of a bright future”.

Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Shri Vinay Kumar Saxena, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri and Union Minister of State for Finance, Shri Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad were present on the occasion.

Background

Guided by the Prime Minister’s vision to provide economic support to the marginalized sections, PM SVANidhi was launched on 1st June 2020 amidst the global economic crisis caused by the pandemic. It has proven to be transformative for the marginalized communities of street vendors. Till now, more than 82 lakh loans amounting to over Rs 10,978 crores have been disbursed to more than 62 lakh street vendors across the country. Delhi alone has witnessed the distribution of nearly 2 lakh loans, amounting to Rs. 232 crores. The scheme continues to be a beacon of financial inclusion and holistic welfare for those who have been historically underserved.

During the programme, the Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for two additional corridors of Delhi Metro: Lajpat Nagar – Saket-G Block and Inderlok – Indraprastha. The combined length of these two corridors will be more than 20 km and will help improve connectivity and further reduce traffic congestion.

The stations on the Lajpat Nagar to Saket G- Block corridor will include Lajpat Nagar, Andrews Ganj, Greater Kailash – 1, Chirag Delhi, Pushpa Bhawan, Saket District Centre, Pushp Vihar, Saket G – Block. The stations on the Inderlok – Indraprastha corridor will include Inderlok, Daya Basti, Sarai Rohilla, Ajmal Khan Park, Nabi Karim, New Delhi, LNJP Hospital, Delhi Gate, Delhi Sachivalaya, Indraprastha.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, today inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for various development projects of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority, and Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Limited through a video conference. Several dignitaries, including the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel, were present during the event.

On this occasion, Shri Amit Shah said that today, in all three Lok Sabha constituencies of Ahmedabad city, the inauguration and foundation stone laying ceremonies have been conducted for around 63 development projects totaling more than 3,000 crore rupees. He mentioned that in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency, 27 projects costing 1800 crore rupees, in the Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha constituency, 25 projects costing 1040 crore rupees, and in the Ahmedabad West Lok Sabha constituency, 11 projects costing 168 crore rupees have been inaugurated and laid the foundation stones.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the development journey initiated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in Gujarat is spreading across the entire country. In the past few years, such development has occurred in Gujarat that every individual can feel. Shri Shah mentioned that today, the dream of owning a home has been fulfilled for nearly two thousand people in Hebatpur, Gota, and Thaltej. Additionally, inauguration ceremonies have been held for underpasses, bridges over canals, anganwadi buildings, water purification plants, and over bridges on Ring Road. He said that in the suburb area of Gandhinagar, around 40 municipal schools have been transformed into smart schools, where children from poor families study. Along with the transformation of these 40 schools into smart schools, every school in the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency has become modern and smart. Efforts have been made to modernize the education facilities for thousands of children.

Shri Amit Shah stated that today, various infrastructure-related works spanning up to a total of nine kilometers, including the Indira Bridge from Sadar Bazaar and from the Torrent Power Station to the Indira Bridge, are being completed by the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation Limited. He mentioned that work is also underway for health ATMs and primary schools everywhere. Additionally, work is ongoing to build an over-bridge at the Panjarapole junction in the western part of Ahmedabad city and for the beautification of Chandola Lake in the Danilimda ward in the southern zone.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation remarked that in the past, During earlier governments, Bhoomi Pujan of the projects would take place but then the work would stall, however, this is not the case anymore. Shri Shah mentioned that in the last five years as a Member of Parliament, out of all the projects he inaugurated, 91 percent of them have been completed and inaugurated.

Shri Amit Shah said that when Shri Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, he had mentioned several projects in his manifesto that had been pending for almost 50-75 years. Previously, opposition parties would always mock our promise to build the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, but Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi not only performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya but also consecrated the idol of Lord Shri Ram and undertook the task of opening the temple for millions of people.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that whether it’s implementing ‘One Rank, One Pension’ or removing Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has shown that he can accomplish seemingly impossible tasks. Along with this, initiatives such as providing free grains to 80 crore poor, constructing toilets for 12 crore poor, providing housing for 4 crore people, giving LPG connections under the Ujjwala scheme to more than 10 crore poor, providing piped water to 14 crore households, and initiating the direct transfer of ₹6,000 annually to the bank accounts of 11 crore farmers have started. He mentioned that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has made the entire country secure and prosperous and has laid a strong foundation for education for the citizens of the future by introducing the New Education Policy.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed a program marking nationwide outreach for credit support to disadvantaged sections via video conferencing today. The Prime Minister launched the Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan evam Rozgar Adharit Jankalyan (PM-SURAJ) national portal and sanctioned credit support to one lakh entrepreneurs of disadvantaged sections of the country. He also interacted with beneficiaries of various government schemes from disadvantaged groups, including Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and sanitation workers.

Shri Narendra Sen from Indore, Madhya Pradesh is the founder of an internet company dealing with cloud computing. He elaborated on his journey to the Prime Minister from owning a cybercafe to learning coding to becoming a founder. He informed the Prime Minister that he aims to empower the MSMEs by digitalizing them. Upon the Prime Minister’s light-hearted request to find out the story of another Narendra, Shri Sen informed Prime Minister Modi that he hailed from a village but his family moved to Indore and had a keen interest in technology even though he had a background in commerce. He further said that the Prime Minister’s address during one of Nasscom’s events and his demand for a cloud godown in India motivated him to start work on cloud computing. “One Narendra sitting in a village got inspired by another Narendra”, Shri Sen said. Upon the Prime Minister’s enquiry about the challenges and support from the government, Shri Sen said that his request for assistance was approved by the then Secretary of Information Technology which led to the development of India’s first data center park. The Prime Minister expressed delight at Shri Sen and other youth for taking an interest in startups and lauded their approach. He congratulated him for his success.

From Jammu, Neelam Kumari who runs a boutique, interacted with the Prime Minister. She recalled the problems suffered during the pandemic lockdown. She is a beneficiary of many welfare schemes like Ujjwala, PM Awas, Ayushman, and Swachh Bharat. She availed government loans to start a business.  The Prime Minister praised her for being a job giver. The Prime Minister told her that people from every corner of the country, who were previously ignored, are availing the benefits of the government schemes.  The Prime Minister thanked her for sharing her inspiring story. He said that schemes like Jan Dhan, Mudra, PM Awas and Udyamta Vikas yojana are changing the lives of those who were left behind earlier.

Shri Naresh from Ahmednagar in Maharashtra who is the co-founder of Jal Jeevan Agrotech informed the Prime Minister that his startup deals with preserving agricultural wastewater. He further mentioned receiving a loan amount of Rs 30 lakhs under Ambedkar Social Innovation Mission which helped him purchase machinery to set up his company. He thanked the Prime Minister and the Government of India. Upon the Prime Minister’s enquiry about his journey from agricultural fields to becoming the founder of a company, Shri Naresh said that he along with his parents worked in the farms which gave him the required experience. He also informed the Prime Minister about receiving the benefits of Ayushman Bharat Card and Rashtriya ration scheme. With regards to supporting farmers through his company, Shri Naresh said that the product manufactured and designed by his company received a patent from the Government of India and it helps prevent the wastage of water during agriculture. He also urged the new industries trying to make a mark in the agricultural sector to avail the benefits of government schemes. Prime Minister Modi lauded his enthusiasm and said that he is an inspiration to the youth who wish to enter the agricultural sector.

Smt Muthamma from Guntur, a Safai Karamchari, told the Prime Minister about her pride in getting the allotment of a septic tank desludging vehicle in her name that transformed her life. She got emotional about narrating her journey.  “This vehicle has given me strength and society has started giving me new respect. All this is due to your initiatives”, she said. On being asked by the Prime Minister, she informed him about the education of her kids and she said she is changing their life by learning to drive. She thanked the Prime Minister for all the various welfare schemes which she and her family are availing. The Prime Minister thanked her for taking forward his favourite area i.e. swachhta and said that the government has been working for the last 10 years to bring about positive changes in the lives of citizens. “Dignity and prosperity of women are key parts of our resolution”, said the Prime Minister.

Addressing the occasion, the Prime Minister acknowledged the virtual presence of about 3 lakh people from 470 districts and expressed gratitude. Prime Minister Modi underlined that the nation is witnessing another huge occasion towards the welfare dalits, backward and deprived sections. He said that today’s occasion provides a glimpse of the government’s commitment to prioritize the underprivileged. He mentioned transferring financial assistance worth  Rs 720 crores directly into the bank accounts of 1 lakh beneficiaries of the disadvantaged sections hailing from 500 different districts in India and said, “Such a system of DBT was unimaginable during the previous governments.” He mentioned launching SURAJ Portal which will facilitate financial assistance to the disadvantaged sections of society, similar to direct benefit transfers from other government schemes and free from middlemen, commissions and recommendations. The Prime Minister also touched upon the distribution of Ayushman Bharat Cards and PPE kits to Safai Mitras engaged in sewer and septic tank shramiks. He said that the expansion of services is part of the welfare campaign for SC, ST and OBC along with the deprived sections and congratulated them for the schemes of today.

Referring to his interaction with the beneficiaries, the Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with how the welfare schemes are reaching the dalits, deprived and backward communities. PM Modi said that this makes him emotional as he is not separate from them and he sees in them his family.

Talking about the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047. The Prime Minister said that the goal can not be achieved without the development of the deprived segments. He said that he has broken the mindset of the past and it is being ensured that facilities available to others like gas connection, bank accounts, toilets etc. are available to dalits, backwards, deprived and tribals.

The Prime Minister pointed out that many generations of the deprived segments were wasted in just arranging for the basic amenities. “After 2014 the government reached the segments devoid of any hope and made them partners in the nation’s development”, said the Prime Minister.  He said that the biggest beneficiaries of schemes like free ration, free medical treatment, pucca houses, toilets, and Ujjwala gas connection are the people on the periphery, the deprived segments. “Now we are working with the goal of saturation in these schemes”, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister also mentioned schemes for nomadic and semi-nomadic communities and NAMASTE scheme for Safai Karamcharis. Talking about the elimination of the inhuman practice of manual scavenging, the Prime Minister pointed out that 60,000 sufferers have been given financial assistance so that they can rebuild a life of dignity.

“Government is making all possible efforts to empower the SC, ST and OBC communities”, PM Modi said, informing that the assistance provided to them by various institutions has been doubled in the last 10 years. He informed that the government has provided almost Rs 1 lakh 60 thousand crores for the welfare of the SC community this year alone. Pointing out that lakhs and crores of rupees were only associated with scams during the previous governments,  the Prime Minister affirmed spending this money for the welfare of Dalits and the deprived and for the development of the country. He mentioned increasing scholarships for SC, ST and OBC youth, reservation of 27 percent seats for OBC in the all-India quota of Medical seats, making inroads for OBC students in NEET examination, and assistance from National Overseas Scholarship for students from underprivileged communities to pursue Master and PhD degrees abroad. He further added that the amount of National Fellowship has also been increased to help students pursue PhD in science-related subjects. The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction that the National Commission for Backward Classes has got constitutional status. He also mentioned developing the Panch Teerths associated with the life of Babasaheb Ambedkar.

“Government is also giving priority to employment and self-employment of youth from deprived sections”, the Prime Minister said, highlighting the Mudra Yojna which has provided financial assistance worth about Rs 30 lakh crores to the poor including SC, ST and OBC communities. He also touched upon the Standup India Scheme and Venture Capital Fund Scheme which promote entrepreneurship in SC and ST categories. “Keeping in mind the entrepreneurship among Dalits, our government has also launched the Ambedkar Social Innovation and Incubation Mission”, PM Modi added.

Referring to policies for the benefit of dalit and deprived communities, the Prime Minister concluded, “This is a testament to our commitment to provide dignity and justice to the underprivileged. Modi gives you this guarantee, this campaign of development and respect for the deprived class will intensify in the coming 5 years. With your development, we will fulfill the dream of Viksit Bharat.”

Background

PM-SURAJ national portal for credit support to disadvantaged sections embodies the Prime Minister’s commitment to prioritize the underprivileged (vanchiton ko variyata). It is a transformative initiative, aimed at uplifting the most marginalized segments of society. The credit support will be provided to eligible persons across the country and facilitated through banks, NBFC-MFIs and other organizations.

During the programme, the Prime Minister also distributed Ayushman Health Cards and PPE kits to Safai Mitras (Sewer and Septic tank workers) under the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE). This initiative represents yet another step towards safeguarding the health and safety of frontline workers who serve in challenging conditions.

The program witnessed the participation of about 3 lakh beneficiaries of various government schemes from disadvantaged groups who joined the program from over 500 districts across the country.