PM addresses MPs in Central Hall of Parliament during Special Session

New Delhi, September 19, 2023: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Members of Parliament in the Central Hall during the Special Session today.

The Prime Minister began the address to the house by conveying the best wishes on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. He noted today’s occasion when the proceedings of the House will be taking place in the new building of the Parliament. “We are heading to the new Parliament building with the resolve and determination to transform India into a developed nation”, the Prime Minister said. 

Speaking about the Parliament Building and the Central Hall, the Prime Minister dwelled on its inspiring history. He recalled that in the initial years this part of the building was used as a kind of library. He remembered that this was the place where the Constitution took shape and transfer of power took place at the time of Independence. He remembered that in this Central Hall India’s National Flag and National Anthem were adopted. He informed that after 1952 about 41 Heads of States and Governments from all over the world have addressed the Parliament of India in the Central hall.  Various Presidents of India addressed the Central hall 86 times, he informed. He said that Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha have passed about four thousand Acts in the last seven decades. He also talked about the Laws passed through the mechanism of the Joint Session and mentioned  The Dowry Prohibition Act, Banking Service Commission Bill and Laws to fight terrorism in this regard. He also mentioned the law prohibiting Triple Talaq. Modi highlighted Laws for the Transgenders and Divyangs. 

Highlighting the contributions of the public representatives in repealing Article 370, the Prime Minister underlined with immense pride that the Constitution provided to us by our ancestors is now being implemented in Jammu & Kashmir. “Today, Jammu & Kashmir is progressing on the path of peace and development and its people do not wish to let opportunities slip out of their hands anymore”, Modi remarked. 

Recalling his address from Red Fort during the Independence Day 2023, the Prime Minister emphasized that the correct time is now and it highlights the reemergence of India with a renewed consciousness. “Bharat is brimming with energy”, Modi emphasized as he noted that this renewed consciousness will enable every citizen to realize their dreams with dedication and hardwork. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that India is sure to reap the rewards on the chosen path. “Faster results can be achieved with a faster progress rate”, he added. Referring to India’s ascent into the top five economies, the Prime Minister said that the world and India is confident to break into the top three economies. He touched upon the robustness of India’s banking sector. He noted the world’s enthusiasm for India’s digital infrastructure, UPI and Digital Stacks. He said that this success is a matter of amazement, attraction and acceptance for the world. 

The Prime Minister underlined the importance of the current times when Indian aspirations are at their all time high in thousand years. He said India whose aspirations were chained for thousand years is not ready to wait now it wants to move with aspirations and create new goals. He said that amidst new aspirations, framing new laws and getting rid of outdated laws is the highest responsibility of the Parliamentarians. 

The Prime Minister underlined that it is the expectation of every citizen and the belief of every Parliamentarian that all passed laws, discussions and messages relayed from the Parliament should encourage Indian aspirations. “Highest priority should be accorded to the roots of Indian aspirations for every reform that is introduced in the Parliament”, the Prime Minister emphasized. 

The Prime Minister asked whether a big painting can be painted on a small canvas. He said without expanding the canvas of our thinking, we cannot create the grand India of our dreams. Referring to the grand heritage of India, the Prime Minister said that if our thinking gets linked with this grand heritage we can paint the painting of that grand India. “India will have to work on a big canvas. Time has gone to get entangled in small stuff”, Modi said. 

He underlined the primacy of creating Aatmnirbhar Bharat. He said that defying the initial apprehension, the world is talking about India’s Aatmnirbhar Model. He said who will not want to be self-reliant in defence, manufacturing, energy and edible oil and in this quest party politics should not be an obstacle. 

Emphaszing the need for India to scale new heights in the manufacturing sector, the Prime Minister highlighted the model of ‘Zero Defect, Zero Effect’, where Indian products should be free from any defects and the manufacturing process must have zero effect on the environment. He stressed moving forward with the objective of creating new global benchmarks in the manufacturing sector of India for products such as agricultural, designer, softwares, handicrafts etc. “One must possess the belief that our product will not only be the best in our villages, towns, districts and states but also the best in the world.”

The Prime Minister touched upon the openness of the New Educational Policy and said that it has been universally accepted. Referring to the photograph of the ancient Nalanda University which was put up on display during the G20 Summit, the Prime Minister informed that it was a matter of incredulity for the foreign dignitaries to realize that the institution functioned in India 1500 years ago. “We must derive inspiration from this and focus on achieving our targets in the present”, Modi added.  

Touching upon the growing sporting success scripted by the youth of the nation, the Prime Minister noted the rise of sports culture in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. “It should be the pledge of the nation that on every sports podium there should be our Tricolour”, Modi said. He also asked for a greater focus on quality in order to address the quality of life aspirations of common citizens. 

The Prime Minister also noted the importance of being a country with a young demography. We want to create a scenario where India’s youth is always at the forefront. He said India is doing skill development among the youth after mapping skill requirements at a global level. He mentioned the recent initiative of opening 150 nursing colleges which will prepare India’s youth for fulfilling the global requirement of health professionals. 

Underling the need to take correct decisions at the correct time, the Prime Minister said, “Decision making cannot be delayed” and also underlined that public representatives cannot be bound by political benefits or losses. Speaking about the Solar Power sector of the country, Modi said that it is now providing a guarantee from the energy crises of the country. He also touched upon Mission Hydrogen, Semiconductor Mission and the Jal Jeevan Mission and said that it is paving the way for a better future. Stressing the need for Indian products to reach the global market and remain competitive, the Prime Minister touched upon developing the logistic sector of the country to decrease costs and making it accessible to every citizen. Emphasizing the need for Knowledge and innovation, the Prime Minister mentioned the Law regarding Research and Innovation that was passed recently. He said momentum and attraction generated by the success of Chandrayaan should not be wasted. 

The Prime Minister said “Social Justice is our primary condition” and said that discussion on Social Justice has become very restricted and there is a need for a comprehensive look. He said Social justice involves empowering the deprived sections with connectivity, clean water, electricity, medical treatment and other basic amenities. He stressed that imbalance in development is also against social justice and mentioned the backwardness of the eastern part of the country. “By strengthening our eastern part we have to impart the power of social justice there”, Modi said.  He mentioned the Aspirational Districts Scheme that has given a push to balanced development. The scheme has been extended to 500 blocks. 

“The entire world is looking towards India”, the Prime Minister remarked as he noted that India was considered neutral country during the Cold War era but today, today India is known as ‘Vishwa Mitra’ where India is reaching out to other nations for friendly relations while they are looking forward to a friend in India. He mentioned that India is reaping the benefits of such a foreign policy as the nation has emerged as a stable supply chain for the world. Modi stated that the G20 Summit was a medium to fulfil the needs of the global south and expressed confidence that future generations will feel immense pride for this momentous achievement. “The seeds planted by the G20 Summit will turn into a huge Banyan Tree of trust for the world”, Modi added. The Prime Minister mentioned the Biofuel Alliance that was formalized in the G20 Summit. He said that a huge Biofuel movement is taking place at a global level under the leadership of India. 

The Prime Minister requested the Vice President and the Speaker that the glory and dignity of the current building should be protected at all cost and it should not be relegated to the status of Old Parliament building. He said that the building would be called ‘Samvidhan Sadan’. “As Samvidhan Sadan, the old building will continue to guide us and will keep reminding us about the great personalities who were part of the Constituent Assembly” , the Prime Minister concluded.