NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced that one crore youth will be trained in artificial intelligence through skilling courses, while free online coaching will be offered to those preparing for various competitive examinations.Addressing the nation from the Red Fort on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day, PM Modi emphasized technology and innovation as key pillars of his vision for a ‘Viksit Bharat’.Referring to the India AI Impact Summit held in February, the prime minister said the government would expand opportunities for young people to acquire AI skills.He also announced a nationwide sports talent hunt to identify and nurture children aged 5 to 15 years across villages and cities.On civil defence, PM Modi said the government was undertaking reforms to modernize training and strengthen capabilities to deal with emerging security challenges. He announced plans to create a large, modern civil defence volunteer force equipped to respond to contemporary crises.“Today, I announce from the Red Fort that we will establish a vibrant Civil Defence network in the coming days,” PM Modi said, adding that volunteers would be familiarized with modern systems and measures to protect citizens during crises.Highlighting the growing role of women in nation-building, Modi said daughters were leading the way across sectors, including fighter aviation, civil aviation, sports, STEM education and the armed forces.On semiconductors, PM Modi said seven to eight new production plants were expected to become operational over the next one to two years. He also said India was targeting 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, with five new reactors expected to be operational within the next six to seven years.PM Modi outlined seven key areas that he said would drive India’s development, including manufacturing, agriculture and food processing, and technology, innovation and digital technologies.He stressed that India’s manufacturing push must focus on cost, quality and scale, while maintaining high standards.“Technology and innovation is the third strength of Saptadhara. This is the era of robotics, AI, quantum technology, space and data centres,” Modi said, adding that India must emerge as a global hub for innovation.He cited UPI and Digital Public Infrastructure as examples of India’s technological capabilities and said the country must now take the next step in next-generation communication technologies.The Prime Minister also highlighted agriculture and food processing, saying free trade agreements had opened up larger global markets for Indian farmers. He called for traditional Indian cuisine, millets, spices, fruits and flowers to be developed into global brands and for the country to move “from the farm to the export market”.Modi said India’s ambition of becoming a developed nation by 2047 must be closely linked to its youth, describing them as both the biggest beneficiaries and the key enablers of the Viksit Bharat vision.He urged citizens to “dream big” and work collectively to turn those aspirations into reality.(With ANI inputs)
