Vice President's Secretariat
azadi ka amrit mahotsav

Text of the Vice-President's Address to Students and Faculty Members of New York University at Vice-President's Enclave (Excerpts)

Posted On: 13 JAN 2025 7:03PM by PIB Delhi

Shri Sunil Kumar Gupta, Secretary to the Vice President, Shri Manish Srivastava, Professor, New York University, Shri Vipul Rungta, Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer, SDFC Capital Advisors Limited. I will have to refer to my wife, Dr. Sudesh Dhankhar and my greetings to all of you. I welcome you all to this establishment, it's a delightful moment.

Those of you who are visiting this country for the first time will not be able to notice the change that has taken place in last decade. No country in the world has so changed, no country in the world has witnessed this kind of transformation in last decade as Bharat. If I go by global institutions, International Monetary Fund says India is a land of opportunity and investment, favourite destination. The World Bank has accoladed us by indicating that in digitisation what India has accomplished in about six years is normally not achievable in more than four decades and why not? There is a factual premise for these extraordinary exponential developments.

Can you imagine 500 million people getting into banking inclusion? I'm saying 500 million. 170 million getting free gas collection, 120 million households getting toilet, portable water, 5G technology available in the villages, all villages connected by road. I know the difference because I was a Member of Parliament in 1989, I was minister in 1990 so, what has happened in this country is amazing. As a matter of fact, when it comes to digitization, we are all model to the world. Just go, just a few years back, two, three, four years back, the world was battling COVID and we handled it so well, simultaneously helping hundreds of other countries.

India stands for inclusivity and that is why you would have seen G20 motto 'One Earth, One Family, One Future' and that is drawn from our 5,000 year old civilisational ethos Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and we believe in it and therefore the impression, global impression about India has to change.

Now there is an ecosystem and the ecosystem is very categorical. A young mind has all the opportunity to exploit his or her potential, exploit talent and realize ambitions. No wonder we are a nation at 28, India's median age tells a story of youth leading the world's largest democracy. When I compare, the US is 38 and China is 39. No country has witnessed the kind of phenomenal development we have seen in the last 10 years. This has converted Bharat, India into aspirational mode. People tested development they never imagined. Look at real estate, look at our highways, look at the kind of infrastructures we brought about. In the face of COVID, the Indian Parliament's new building was made in less than 30 months, fully equipped, this is the development.

The opportunity basket for youth is enlarging, there is not a field of human activity where India is not along with futuristic intentions so from that perspective you can find out. Silicon Valley is a new reality. One in five unicorn founders are Indian, making Indian leadership new normal.

1,40,000 startups and 160 new unicorns. How transformative has been the landscape for contribution by youth? Innovative policies, far-reaching policies that hand hold the entrepreneurs at every stage, ease of governance.

What you had seen earlier, India has accomplished now, rule of law. There is equality before law come what may. No privilege pedigree, no one is immune from the process of law. Difficult but achieved and achieved effectively, impactfully, it's a ground reality.

transparent accountable governance, we compare with the best in the world and look at the accessibility of internet, adaptability of it. Per capita internet consumption of an Indian is more than that of US and China taken together. When it comes to our direct digital transactions, I'm from a village, 100 million farmers thrice a year get direct transactions at a global level, we account for more than 50% and boys and girls, it is four times the combined transactions of USA, UK, France and Germany. Our economy has traversed from Fragile Five to Big Five, ahead of our colonial rulers, UK. Shortly, we don't leave somebody behind, we march ahead, we'll be ahead of Japan and Germany.

Your visit to this country is very, very important because India as a nation stands for peace, stability, global growth. It's a nation that never subscribes to expansion, it has always believed historically into a resolution of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy.

I wish you see all around, India is cultural center of the world. No country can boast of 5,000 years of culture. If you go to any part of this country, infrastructure, cuisine, culture, very different. You are here at a time when an event is taking place after 144 years, Mahakumbh. Can you guess how many people will go to that place? 400 million people, 400 million people will go to that place in a time zone of few weeks and you'll find management seamless. Everybody taken care of systemic, upright environment you will see. Things have changed dramatically.

With modesty this century belongs to Bharat because we believe in the world. If I give you just certain figures. Look at our elected, look at our voting pattern. Look at the time frame we do it. If you compare with the rest of the world, you will find the difference.

In a decade, two trillion economy has doubled to four trillion and 8% growth by and large. Compare it with the large economies, you'll find the difference. 14 kilometres of highways, world-class highways and 6 kilometres of railway track coming into being daily. Every day we add 14 kilometres of highways and 6 kilometres of railways. Every year we have added four new airports and one metro system. 1,000-kilometre metro network across 23 cities. We are ahead of Japan, this reflects India's urbanisation

 

****

JK/RC/SM

(Release ID: 2092574) Visitor Counter : 366


Read this release in: Urdu , Hindi