I am also grateful to you for the
gracious hospitality given to me and my delegation. On behalf of the
1.25 billion Indians, I extend warm greetings to the friendly people of
Iran. Through ages, the beauty and richness of the Persian heritage has
attracted the world to Iran. For me, visiting Iran, is indeed a great
privilege.
Excellency,
India and Iran are not new friends. Our
dosti is as old as history. Through centuries, our societies have stayed
connected through art and architecture, ideas and traditions, and
culture and commerce. As friends and neighbours, we have shared interest
in each other’s growth and prosperity, and joys and sorrows. We can
never forget that Iran was among the first countries to come forward in
support when earthquake struck my state, Gujarat, in 2001. Similarly,
India is proud to have stood with the people of Iran during your
difficult times. I compliment the leadership of Iran for their
far-sighted diplomacy.
Excellency,
We had last met in Ufa in 2015. Your
leadership and the clarity of your vision have deeply impressed me. In
our meeting today, we focused on the full range of our bilateral
engagement. We exchanged views on the emerging regional situation and
global issues of common concern. The agenda and scope of our partnership
is truly substantial. The outcomes and agreements signed today open a
new chapter in our strategic partnership. The welfare of our people is
guiding our broad based economic ties. Expanded trade ties, deeper
connectivity, including Railways partnerships in oil and gas sector
fertilizers education and cultural sphere are driving our overall
economic engagement. The bilateral agreement to develop the Chahbahar
port and related infrastructure, and availability of about US$ 500
million from India for this purpose, is an important milestone. This
major effort would boost economic growth in the region. We are committed
to take steps for early implementation of the agreements signed today.
Friends,
Later today we are going to sign the
trilateral Transport and Transit Agreement with participation of Iran,
India and Afghanistan. It will be a historic occasion. It will open new
routes for India, Iran and Afghanistan to connect among themselves.
India and Iran also share a crucial stake in peace, stability and
prosperity of the region. We also have shared concerns at the spread of
forces of instability, radicalism and terror in our region. We have
agreed to consult closely and regularly on combating threats of
terrorism, radicalism, drug trafficking and cyber crime. We have also
agreed to enhance interaction between our defence and security
institutions on regional and maritime security.
Friends,
The past history of our ties has been
rich. President Rouhani and I would leave no stone unturned to work for
its glorious future. Our friendship will be a factor of stability in our
region. Later today, I look forward to calling on His eminence the
Hon’ble Supreme Leader to advance our ties further.
Excellency Rouhani,
I look forward to welcoming you in India
to carry forward the agenda of our engagement Where we are now and
where we could be is most beautifully said in a couplet from Ghalib. Let
me end with it:
जनूनत गरबे नफ्से-खुद तमाम अस्त
ज़े-काशी पा-बे काशान नीम गाम अस्त
[Means: Once we make up our mind, the distance between Kaashi and Kaashan is only half a step]
I once again sincerely thank you, Excellency for inviting me to Iran.
राष्ट्रपति अब्दुल्लायामीनजी और मीडिया के मेरे साथियों,
आज भारत और मालदीव्स की सहभागिता के इतिहास में एक अहम दिन है।
आपकी इस भारत यात्रा पर मैं आपका हार्दिक स्वागत करता हूँ। दिल्ली में
आपकी मौजूदगी, मेरे लिए व्यक्तिगत रूप से बहुत खुशी की बात है...आपका आना
एक दोस्त के आने का ऐहसास कराता है।
लदीव्स भारत के सबसे घनिष्ट सहयोगियों में से एक है। संस्कृति की पुरानी
कड़ियाँ, दोनों देशों के लोगों के बीच आपसी मेल-जोल, और हिंद महासागर की
लहरें, हमें जोड़ती हैं।
Excellency यामीन,
मालदीव्स की प्रगति, सुरक्षा और आर्थिक विकास, जितना आपका मकसद है, उतना
ही भारत का भी लक्ष्य है। मालदीव्स की स्थिरता और सुरक्षा भारत के सामरिक
हितों से सीधे-सीधे जुड़ी हुई है।
मालदीव्स की समस्याएं, हमारी भी चिंता हैं।
मेरा मानना है कि भारत का आर्थिक विकास हमारे पड़ोसी देशों की तरक्की के
बिना अधूरा है। 'Neighbours First’, न सिर्फ हमारी नीति है, बल्कि हमारे
सिद्धांतों का अहम हिस्सा भी है। दोस्तों,
मैंने राष्ट्रपति यामीन के साथ दोनों देशों के बीच
संबंधों से जुड़े सभी विषयों पर विस्तार से बातचीत की है। ये साफ है कि
भारत और मालदीव्स के संबंधों का दायरा हमारे साझे सामरिक, सुरक्षा, आर्थिक,
और विकास के मकसद से परिभाषित है। हम मालदीव्स की सुरक्षा जरूरतों के
प्रति जागरुक हैं।
राष्ट्रपति यामीन भी इस बात से सहमत हैं कि मालदीव्स भारत के सामरिक और सुरक्षा हितों के प्रति पूरी तरह संवेदनशील रहेगा।
हमारा सांझा मत है कि भारत और मालदीव्स की समंदर की सीमाओं की सुरक्षा
का सबसे बेहतर और इकलौता जरिया हमारी मजबूत दोस्ती है। पूरे हिंद महासागर
में शांति, समृद्धि और सुरक्षा के लिए भी ये बहुत ही जरूरी है।
हिंद महासागर में net security provider के तौर पर भारत अपनी
जिम्मेदारी को बखूबी समझता है। धरती के इस हिस्से में अपने सामरिक हितों की
रक्षा के लिए भारत पूरी तरह तैयार है।
हमारी आज की बातचीत में कई अहम विषयों पर सहमति बनी है।
रक्षा के क्षेत्र में एक Concrete एक्शन प्लान को जल्द ही लागू करने से हमारी सुरक्षा सहभागिता और मजबूत होगी।
बंदरगाहों का विकास, लगातार ट्रेनिंग और क्षमता में सुधार, जरूरी उपकरणों की सप्लाई, और समंदर का surveillance, इस के अहम अंग होंगे।
भारत और मालदीव्स मिलकर उथुरु थाईला फालु - UTH - में पोर्ट से जुड़ी सुविधाओं का विकास करेंगे।
I-Haven का विकास मालदीव्स की प्राथमिकता है। भारत इस प्रोजेक्ट में मालदीव्स के साथ पार्टनरशिप के लिए तैयार है।
हमने मालदीव्स में पुलिस अकादमी की स्थापना, रक्षा मंत्रालय की इमारत
का निर्माण और सुरक्षा से जुड़े Infrastructure प्रोजेक्ट्स में भी तेजी
लाने का फैसला किया है।
दक्षिण एशिया में सीमा पार से आतंकवाद और कट्टरवादी सोच के हावी होने से हो रहे नुकसान और खतरों के प्रति राष्ट्रपति यामीन और मैं पूरी तरह सजग हैं...सचेत हैं।
इस चुनौती को ध्यान में रखते हुए, दोनों देशो की एजेंसियों के बीच
information exchange और मालदीव्स की पुलिस और सुरक्षा सेनाओं की
ट्रेनिंग और उनकी क्षमताओं में विकास, हमारे सुरक्षा सहयोग का अहम हिस्सा
है।
राहत और बचाव के काम में, प्राकृतिक आपदाओं के वक्त अपनी दोस्ती
को...अपनी पार्टनरशिप को और मजबूत करने पर भी दोनों देश सहमत हैं।
दोस्तों,
हम दोनों ने व्यापार, आर्थिक और निवेश में साझेदारी के विकास पर भी
विस्तार से बात की। भारत में होने वाले तीसरे Maldives Investment Forum का
हम स्वागत करते हैं। ये दोनों देशों के बीच निवेश और कारोबारी रिश्तों को
और मजबूत करेगा।
स्वास्थ्य सेवाओं में सहभागिता हमारी प्राथमिकता है। साल 1995 में भारत
ने मालदीव्स में जो अस्पताल बनाया था, उसको upgrade करना, डॉक्टरों की टीम
को और मजबूत करना, स्वास्थ्य से जुड़ी संस्थाओं का निर्माण, दवाइयों की
उपलब्धता और स्वास्थ्य सेवाओं से जुड़ी आधुनिक तकनीक, इस के अहम अंग हैं।
Tourism के क्षेत्र मे आज हुआ समझोता दोनों देशो के economic और people-to-people ties को बढायेगा |
आज हमारे सहयोग की उड़ान, जल और थल को पार कर अंतरिक्ष को छू रही है।
South Asia Satellite के समझौते पर आज हुए हस्ताक्षर से मालदीव्स और
दूसरे दक्षिण एशियाई देशों को शिक्षा, स्वास्थ्य और पर्यटन के क्षेत्र में
भरपूर लाभ मिलेगा।
मालदीव्स सांस्कृतिक धरोहर का धनी है। प्राचीन मस्जिदों और ऐतिहासिक
स्मारकों के संरक्षण और उनकी मरम्मत के लिए आज हुआ समझौता हमारे सांस्कृतिक
रिश्तों को और मजबूत बनाएगा।
दोस्तों,
राष्ट्रपति यामीनजी ने मालदीव्स
में हो रहे राजनीतिक तथा institutional सुधारों के बारे में भी मुझे
जानकारी दी है। भारत हर ऐसी कोशिश का समर्थन करता है जो मालदीव्स को, उस के
नागरिकों को और राजनीति को सशक्त बनाए।
Excellency यामीन,
मालदीव्स की सफलता के सफर में भारत एक ऐसा दोस्त है जो हर हालात में
मालदीव्स के साथ कदम से कदम मिला कर चलेगा । भारत हमेशा मालदीव्स की जनता
का सुदृढ़ मित्र और विश्वसनीय पार्टनर रहेगा।
इन शब्दों के साथ मैं एक बार फिर आप का भारत की धरती पर स्वागत करता हूं।
धन्यवाद।
Last
week has been a sad week for Belgium. Let me say Mr. Prime Minister
that we share the depth of sorrow and grief that the people of Belgium
have experienced in the last 8 days. My deepest condolences to the
families of those who lost their loved ones to the terror strikes in
Brussels last week. Having experienced terrorist violence ourselves on
countless occasions, we share your pain. Mr. Prime Minister, in this
time of crisis, the whole of India stands in full support and solidarity
with the Belgian people. I deeply appreciate your welcome and the time
that you have devoted to me despite pressing demands on you. As part of
our efforts to respond to this common challenge we could resume
discussions on a Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty. Negotiations on
Extradition Treaty and a Treaty on Exchange of Sentenced Prisoners could
be concluded expeditiously .
Friends,
Our two countries share a long history of friendship. A
hundred years ago, more than 130,000 soldiers from India fought in the
First World War alongside your countrymen on Belgian soil. More than
9,000 Indian soldiers made the supreme sacrifice. Next year will mark
the 70th anniversary of India-Belgium diplomatic ties. To celebrate this
important milestone in our friendship, we look forward to welcoming His
Majesty King Philippe of Belgium in India next year. We would also be
commemorating it with a joint programme of activities in each others’
countries. My conversation with Prime Minister Charles Michel today
covered the whole spectrum of our ties. A system of bilateral foreign
policy consultations would recommend concrete ways to upgrade our
partnership.
Friends,
India is one of the brightest
economic opportunities in the world today. Our macroeconomic
fundamentals are robust , and at 7% plus, we are one of the fastest
growing economies of the world. I believe that a combination of Belgian
capacities and India’s economic growth can produce promising
opportunities for businesses on both sides. Prime Minister and I have
just held a productive interaction with Belgian CEOs and business
persons earlier today. I invite the Belgian government and companies to
pro-actively associate with India's ambitious development projects
including Digital India, Start Up India and Skill India. Belgian
businesses can make their global supply chains more cost effective by
manufacturing in India. India's goal to modernize infrastructure,
especially railways and ports, and building of 100 plus smart cities
also presents a unique investment opportunity for the Belgian companies.
These partnerships can help us reach new heights in our trade and
commercial partnership. I have invited Prime Minister Michel to visit
India with Belgian businesses to see first-hand the reality of India's
economic and political promise. Clearly, it is not just diamonds that
can bring shine to our partnership. Climate change is one of the
greatest challenges before mankind. Prime Minister and I have agreed to
enhance our cooperation in renewable energy. We would also build
partnerships in areas such as harnessing waste for energy, small wind
turbines and zero emission buildings. Advancement in S&T and High
technology areas is of particular importance for India's development
priorities. We welcome Belgium’s collaboration in these areas. Prime
Minister Michel and I have just activated , remotely, India’s largest
optical telescope. This product of Indo-Belgian collaboration is an
inspiring example of what our partnership can achieve. The work is also
afoot on other agreements in the areas of Information and Communication
Technology, audio-visual production Tourism biotechnology and shipping
and ports.
Friends,
In a couple of hours from now, I would meet the E.U.
leadership for the 13th India-E.U. Summit. For India, E.U. is one of our
strongest strategic partners. Trade, Investment, and technology
partnership between India and the E.U. would be one of the focus areas
of our discussions. I feel that a progressive path and creative mind-set
to India-E.U Trade and Investment Agreement can enable all the European
countries, including Belgium, to benefit from India’s strong economic
growth. I once again express my sincere gratitude to Prime Minister
Charles Michel for his time, welcome and hospitality. I look forward to
welcoming him in India.
Mr. Micklethwait, Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen.
I
am pleased to be here today to mark twenty years of Bloomberg’s
presence in India. During that period, Bloomberg has provided
intelligent commentary and incisive analysis of India’s economy. It has
become an essential part of the finance landscape.
Apart from
that, I am grateful for the valuable advice that we have received from
Mr. Michael Bloomberg in the design of our Smart Cities programme. As
Mayor of one of the world’s great cities, Mr. Bloomberg has personal
insight into what makes a city tick. His ideas have enriched the design
of our Smart Cities programme. Under this programme, we hope to create
one hundred cities which will become role models for urban development
throughout the country.
Among firms with low levels of leverage, the situation is even better.
Upgrades exceed downgrades by a huge margin. The number of upgrades is
6.8 times the number of downgrades for large firms with low leverage;
for medium-sized firms the ratio is 3.9; and for small firms it is 6.3.
These are exceptionally robust numbers.
The only segment showing
an increase in downgrades is highly leveraged large firms. The
Government and Reserve Bank have taken tough action to recover dues from
large corporate defaulters. Perhaps the noise from this segment has
influenced media perceptions.
Moving from credit to investment,
net foreign direct investment in the third quarter of the current
financial year was an all-time record. But to me, more interesting is
the dramatic increase in certain important sectors. In the period from
October 2014 to September 2015, FDI in fertilizer was 224 million
dollars compared to just one million in the period October 2013 to
September 2014; in sugar, it was 125 million dollars compared to just
four million dollars; in agricultural machinery, it doubled to 57
million dollars from 28 million dollars. These are sectors that are
closely connected with the rural economy. I am thrilled to see that
foreign investment is flowing into them.
In the year to
September 2015, FDI in construction activities showed 316 per cent
growth. Computer software and hardware had 285 per cent growth. FDI in
the automobile industry grew 71 per cent. This is concrete evidence that
the Make in India policy is having effect in employment intensive
sectors.
In a difficult global environment for exports,
manufacturing output has fluctuated. However, several key sub-sectors of
manufacturing are growing rapidly. Motor vehicle production, which is a
strong indicator of consumer purchasing power and economic activity,
has grown at 7.6 per cent. The employment-intensive wearing apparel
sector has grown at 8.7 per cent. Manufacturing of furniture has grown
by 57 per cent, suggesting a pick-up in sales of flats and houses.
Looking
towards the future, let me turn to agriculture. In the past, the
emphasis has been on agricultural output, rather than on farmers’
incomes. I have set the objective of doubling farmers’ income by 2022. I
have laid this out as a challenge, but it is not merely a challenge.
With a good strategy, well-designed programmes, adequate resources and
good governance in implementation, this target is achievable. And, as a
large share of our population depends on agriculture, a doubling of
farmers’ incomes will have strong benefits for other sectors of the
economy.
Let me outline our strategy.
• First, we have
introduced a big focus on irrigation with a large increase in budgets.
We are taking a holistic approach which combines irrigation with water
conservation. The aim is ‘per drop, more crop’.
• Second, we
are focusing on provision of quality seeds and on efficiency of nutrient
use. The provision of soil health cards enables accurate selection of
inputs according to the requirements of each field. These will lower
costs of production and increase net income.
• Third, a large
portion of the harvest is lost before it reaches the consumer. In
perishables the loss occurs in transit. In non-perishables, it happens
during storage. We are reducing post-harvest losses through big
investments in warehousing infrastructure and cold chain. We have
greatly increased the outlay for agricultural infrastructure.
•
Fourth, we are promoting value addition through food processing. As an
example, in response to a call from me, Coca Cola has recently started
adding fruit juice to some of its aerated drinks.
• Fifth, we
are creating a national agricultural market and removing distortions. A
common electronic market platform is being introduced across 585
regulated wholesale markets. We want to ensure that a higher share of
the final price goes to the farmer, with less going to middlemen. The
introduction of FDI in marketing of domestic food products in this
budget is with the same objective.
• Sixth, we have introduced
the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. It is a comprehensive nationwide
crop insurance programme which offers farmers protection from risks
beyond their control, at an affordable cost. This scheme will ensure
that their incomes are protected in times of adverse weather.
•
Seventh, we will increase income from ancillary activities. Partly this
will be through poultry, honey bees, farm ponds and fisheries. We are
also encouraging farmers to use uncultivated portions of their land,
especially boundaries between fields, for growing timber and placing
solar cells.
Through a combination of
• growth in production, • more efficient input use, • reduction in post-harvest losses, • higher value addition, • reduced marketing margins, • risk mitigation • and ancillary activities,
I am confident we will achieve the targeted doubling of farmers’
income. I am happy to note that Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, the doyen of
Indian agriculture, seems to agree. He wrote to me after the budget
expressing gratitude for the farmer-centric budget. He welcomed the
income orientation given to farming. He went on to say, and I quote,
“On the whole, the budget has tried to be as pro-farmer as possible
subject to the limitation of resources. Seeds have been sown for
agricultural transformation and for attracting and retaining youth in
farming. The dawn of a new era in farming is in sight.”
Let me
now turn to some of the programmes and policies that underpin our
growth. As I have said before, my goal is ‘Reform to Transform’: the aim
of reform is to transform the lives of ordinary people. Let me start
with administrative reforms and our focus on execution.
In a
country like India, resources are scarce, while problems are abundant.
An intelligent strategy is to optimize use of resources through
efficiency in implementation. Mere announcement of policies, or
so-called policies, achieves little. Even more than reformed policies,
we need transformed execution. Let me illustrate. The National Food
Security Act was passed in 2013 but remained without implementation in
most states. In the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee
Scheme, much of the expenditure was leaking out to touts, middlemen and
the non-poor, though expenditure was recorded in the books.
We
are now implementing the Food Security Act nationwide. We have
drastically reduced leakages in the Employment Guarantee scheme and
ensured that money reaches those for whom it is intended. We have
focused on creating durable assets that benefit the population, rather
than the touts. And instead of talking about the virtues of financial
inclusion, we have actually completed the task and brought over 200
million people into the banking system.
Our record on
implementation in general, and reduction in corruption in particular, is
now well understood. So I will be brief. Coal, minerals and spectrum
have been auctioned transparently raising large amounts. Managerial
improvements have resulted in elimination of the power shortage, a
record high in highway construction per day and record port through-put.
We have launched a number of new programmes across various sectors.
Many legacy issues have been solved. The number of stalled projects has
declined. The long-closed Dabhol power plant is operational again thanks
to our coordinated efforts, and is generating power, saving jobs and
avoiding bad debts for the banks. Let me now turn to policy reforms. I
have referred to the durable reduction in inflation since this
Government took office. This is partly attributable to bold measures
taken to strengthen monetary policy. Last year, we entered into a
Monetary Framework Agreement with the Reserve Bank of India.
This
year we have introduced in the Finance Bill, amendments to the Reserve
Bank of India Act. Under these amendments, the RBI will have an
inflation target and will set monetary policy through a Monetary Policy
Committee. The committee will have no members from the Government.
Through this reform, monetary policy will acquire an inflation focus and
a level of institutional autonomy unprecedented in major emerging
markets, and greater than several developed countries. Together with our
adherence to the path of fiscal consolidation, this is a testimony to
our strong commitment to macro-economic prudence and stability.
Another
major policy reform is in the petroleum sector. Under the new
Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing Policy, there will be pricing and
marketing freedom and a transparent revenue-sharing methodology. This
will eliminate many layers of bureaucratic controls. For on-going
projects which have not been developed, we have also given marketing and
pricing freedom, subject to a transparent ceiling based on published
import parity prices. For renewal of existing Production Sharing
Contracts, we have introduced a transparent method involving a flat
percentage increase in Government profit share. This removes discretion
and uncertainty.
Parliament has passed the Real Estate
Regulation Act which will go a long way in transforming the real estate
market, protecting buyers and promoting honest and healthy practices.
Along with the passing of this long pending bill, we have introduced tax
incentives for developers and buyers of housing for the neo-middle
class and the poor.
The UDAY scheme in the power sector has
permanently changed the incentive structure for State Governments.
Ambitious operational targets are backed by credible incentives to
perform.
Under this scheme, in a phased manner, State
Governments will have to take over losses of distribution companies and
count them against their fiscal deficit targets. This imposes a hard
budget constraint on the states. It creates a powerful incentive for
states to manage the electricity sector efficiently. Already nine states
accounting for over forty per cent of the total debt of distribution
companies, have entered into Memoranda of Understanding with the Central
Government. Another nine have agreed to do so.
You are probably
aware of this government’s sweeping policy reforms in renewable energy.
From an average of less than 1500 Megawatts of solar capacity addition
per annum, we are moving up to 10,000 Megawatts per annum. When I
announced a target of 175 Gigawatts of renewables, as a pillar of our
climate change strategy, many were surprised and some were skeptical.
Yet, this month the International Energy Agency has reported that a
surge in renewables has already halted global growth in energy-related
carbon emissions.
Parliament has recently passed a new law on
inland waterways which will enable the rapid development of this
efficient mode of transport. This will increase the number of navigable
waterways from 5 to 106.
Foreign Direct Investment policy has
been transformed by allowing investment in hitherto closed sectors like
Railways and Defence, and enhancing investment limits in insurance and
many other sectors. These reforms are already bearing fruit. Two new
locomotive factories involving an investment of over 500 billion dollars
are being built in Bihar, by GE and Alstom. In insurance, 9600 crore
rupees, approximately 150 million dollars of FDI, in 12 companies, from
leading global insurers has already been approved.
We have
enhanced the limits for foreign investment in stock exchanges and
allowed them to be listed. I am sure, you are aware, of the reforms we
have undertaken to promote private equity venture capital, and an
eco-system for start-ups. I note that this ‘new economy’ is the focus of
your panel discussions.
Finally, let me turn to the major steps
we have taken in the area of generating employment. This is one of my
highest priorities. India is a capital scarce, labour abundant country.
Yet, the corporate tax structure has favoured capital intensive
production. Tax benefits like accelerated depreciation, and investment
allowance have created an artificial bias against labour. Labour
regulations have also tended to promote informal employment without
social protection, rather than formal employment. We have taken two
important steps to change this.
Firstly, if any firm subject to
tax audit increases its work force, it will get a 30 per cent weighted
tax deduction on the extra wage cost for three years. Earlier, such a
benefit was available only to very few industrial employers and had so
many restrictions that it was practically ineffective. It will now cover
all sectors including services, for employees with a salary up to
25,000 rupees per month.
Secondly, the Government has taken the
responsibility for paying pension contributions for three years for all
new persons enrolling in the Employee Provident Fund. This will apply to
those with wages up to 15,000 rupees per month. We expect lakhs of the
unemployed, and the informally employed, to benefit from these steps.
In
a reform to eliminate corruption in government recruitments, we have
abolished interviews for lower and middle level positions. They will now
be filled on the basis of transparent examination results.
You
are aware that results of Government entrance examinations for
engineering and medical colleges are being used by private colleges
also. I am happy to announce one more measure to improve the labour
market and benefit the unemployed. The Government and Public Sector
Undertakings conduct a number of recruitment examinations. So far, the
scores in these examinations have been retained by the Government.
Hereafter, we will make available the results and the candidate
information openly to all employers, wherever consent is given by the
candidate. This will create a positive externality. It will provide a
rich data base which can be used by private sector employers as a
ready-made and objective sourcing and screening mechanism. It will
reduce search costs in the labour market for both employers and
employees. It will enable better matching of candidates from labour
surplus areas with jobs in other regions.
You may be aware of
the spectacular progress of the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana. Over 31
million loans have been sanctioned to entrepreneurs for a total value of
nearly 19 billion dollars this year. You will be pleased to know that
77 per cent of these entrepreneurs are women and 22 per cent of them are
from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Even if we assume
conservatively that on average, each enterprise creates just one
sustainable job, this initiative itself amounts to 31 million in new
employment. The Stand-Up India scheme will also provide 250,000
entrepreneurship loans to women and Scheduled Castes and Scheduled
Tribes.
My government’s measures on skill development are well
known. In the Budget, we also announced two path-breaking reforms in the
education sector, which I want to elaborate upon. Our aim is to empower
higher educational institutions to help them attain the highest
standards. To start with, we will provide an enabling regulatory
architecture to ten public and ten private institutions, so that they
emerge as world-class teaching and research institutions. Their
regulatory framework will be separate from existing structures like the
University Grants Commission and All India Council for Technical
Education. They will have complete autonomy on academic, administrative
and financial matters. We will provide additional resources for the next
five years for the ten public universities. This will eventually allow
ordinary Indians affordable access to world-class degree courses. This
initiative is the beginning of a journey to restore the original mandate
of higher education regulators.
They should be facilitators
and guides, driven by norms of self-disclosure and transparency, instead
of top-down command and control. Eventually, through regulatory reform,
we aspire to world-class standards in all colleges and universities.
Another initiative is in school education. We have achieved much
quantitative progress in access and pupil-teacher ratios. The foundation
of today’s knowledge economy is the quality of its school leavers. We
have now decided that the quality of learning outcomes will be the
Government’s primary objective. Accordingly, we will allocate an
increasing share of resources under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan to
quality. These funds will be used to promote local initiatives and
innovations to improve learning outcomes. I am sure, all of you who are
parents and all of you who are employers, will welcome these steps in
higher and school education respectively.
In conclusion, Ladies
and Gentlemen, we have initiated many steps. Many more lie ahead. Some
have begun bearing fruit. What we have achieved so far, gives me the
confidence that, with the support of the people, we can transform India.
I know it will be difficult. But I am sure it is do-able. And I am confident, it will be done.
आज संसद का बजट सत्र प्रांरभ हो रहा है।
देश के सवा सौ करोड़ देशवासियों की निगाहें संसद पर, संसद की कार्यवाही पर,
रेल एवं जनरल बजट पर केंद्रित है।
आज भारत की वैश्विक अर्थव्यवस्था में जो स्थिति बनी है उसके कारण विश्व
का ध्यान भी भारत के इस बजट सत्र पर है। पिछले कई दिनों से लगातार सभी
दलों से विचार-विमर्श चल रहा है। औपचारिकता से ऊपर उठ करके विचार-विमर्श चल
रहा है। one-to-one भी काफी बातें हो रही है। और यह विश्वास मेरा है, कि
संसद का समय का सदुपयोग होगा, सार्थकचर्चाएं होगी। देश के सामान्य
नागरिकों की जो आशाएं-अपेक्षाएं हैं, उन पर गहन चिंतन होगा।
अब तक
जितनी भी मीटिंगे हुई हैं, सभी विपक्ष के साथियों ने जो सकारात्मक रुख
दिखाया है, आज से प्रांरभ हो रहे सत्र में, और आने वाले दिनों में, उसका
पूरा-पूरा एहसास देशवासयिों को जरूर होगा।
मैं आशा करता हूं कि
सदन का उपयोग गहन विचार-विमर्श के लिए होना चाहिए। सरकार की भी भरपूर
आलोचना होनी चाहिए। सरकार की कमियां भी उजागर होनी चाहिए। और वही एक मार्ग
है लोकतंत्र को मजबूत बनाने का, जन-सामान्य की आशा-आकांक्षाओं को परिपूर्ण
करने का।
