Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the Republic Day parade pays tribute to India's great social, cultural heritage, as well as the strategic strength and bows to the Constitution that gives life to the world's largest democracy. Interacting with NCC and NSS cadets and Tableaux artists at his residence who will participate at the Republic Day Parade,
Mr Modi said, when they parade on the Rajpath with zeal, every countrymen is filled with enthusiasm and energy. He said, when they show a glimpse of the rich art, culture, tradition and heritage of India, the countrymen are filled with pride.
The Prime Minister said, during the preparations for Republic Day, they must have realized the diversity of India. He said, there are many languages, dialects, different foods and drinks, but India is one. Mr Modi said, we did not get an opportunity to sacrifice our everything for the independence of the country, but the country has definitely given us the opportunity to give our best. He said, we should keep doing what we can to make the country stronger.
The Prime Minister said, India means the collective power of blood, sweat, aspirations, and expectations of the common people. He said, vocal for local is to respect and encourage the things that are being built around their locality.
Mr Modi said, the spirit of vocal for local will be strengthened when it is empowered by the spirit of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat. He said, there should be more awareness about the traditions and festivals of different states and in particular, the country can learn a lot from the rich tribal traditions, art and craft.
The Prime Minister said, the Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat campaign is helping a lot in taking it forward. He said, looking at the importance of skills,
in 2014, a separate Ministry was formed for skill development and so far, about 5.5 crore youth have been trained in different arts and skills.
Mr Modi said, India will not be self-reliant just by saying. He said, it will be done by actions of the youth and they can do it in a much better way when they have the necessary skill set. He said, this skill focus is evident in the new National Education Policy where application of knowledge is stressed upon. He added that flexibility in choosing subject of one’s choice is a key aspect of the policy.
The Prime Minister said, the policy marks the first serious effort to bring vocation education into the mainstream of education. He said, from class 6 onwards, student will have the option of selecting a course in line with their interests and local needs and business. Later also, at middle level, integration of academic and vocational subjects is proposed.
Mr Modi urged the youth to come forward to help the country in COVID-19 vaccination. The Prime Minister said, they have to provide the right information to the poor and the general public and defeat every system spreading misinformation and rumours.
Mr Modi pointed out that this year, India is entering 75th years of independence and this year we celebrate 400th Prakash Purab of Guru Teg Bahadur ji. Also, this year marks the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose which has been declared as Parakram Diwas. He said, these events inspire us to rededicate ourselves to the cause of our country.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda, Youth Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Renuka Singh Saruta were present on the occasion.