At Red Fort, PM Modi Sets Target of 100 GW Nuclear Power, 5 New Reactors

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday declared from the ramparts of the Red Fort that India aims to make five nuclear reactors operational in this decade, since energy security remains crucial in modern times.

"Energy security is the demand of the time. With the SHANTI Act passed in Parliament, we have created the framework to achieve our goal. Our goal is to achieve 100 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity. We aim to start five new nuclear reactors in this decade," the PM said in his address to the nation on 80th Independence Day.

"It is our conviction that India must not be dependent on other countries. We must become self-reliant. We have to strengthen our capabilities and protect our national interests. That is why, with the resolve of an Atmanirbhar Bharat, we are moving forward. Every Indian is connected with the Make-in-India, Swadeshi and Vocal for Local movements," he added.

PM Modi said India has achieved 100 per cent railway electrification, compared to just 30 per cent of the network being electrified since its inception in 1925. "Railway electrification in India began in 1925. Yet, over nearly 90 years, only 30% of the railway network had been electrified. In just the last decade, India has achieved 100% railway electrification. This has significantly reduced dependence on imported diesel while also contributing to a cleaner environment. India has also taken another major step forward with the launch of its first hydrogen-powered train," the PM said.

Along with energy security, the PM focused on India's achievements in the digital technology and innovation sector. He said that the village industries have grown nearly fivefold since 2014 and the number of internet users quadrupled, with digital transactions growing by a hundredfold.

"In the last 12 years, defence production has increased nearly fourfold, while output from Khadi and village industries has grown almost fivefold. Electronics manufacturing has expanded nearly sevenfold. The production of modern railway coaches has risen 21-fold, and mobile phone production has surged 33-fold. Beyond that, we have made our mark in the realms of digital technology and innovation. The number of internet users has nearly quadrupled, patent grants have increased fourfold, and digital transactions have grown a hundredfold," PM Modi said.

The PM said that his government has worked to improve amenities for the common citizen. He asserted that the country has undergone "massive transformation in governance", with gas connections being provided at six times the previous annual speed and construction of housing for the underprivileged at three times the previous rate.

"We have worked with equal seriousness to improve amenities for the common citizen. We have provided tap-water connections at an average annual rate 15 times faster than before. Gas connections have been provided at six times the previous annual speed. We have constructed toilets for the poor at four times the annual pace and provided housing for the underprivileged at three times the previous rate. The country has also undergone a massive transformation in governance; thousands of compliance requirements have been eliminated, and hundreds of archaic laws have been repealed," PM Modi said.

"One cannot march into the 21st century relying on laws from the last century. We expanded metro networks to build modern infrastructure and strengthened public transport. The speed and scale at which this work has been executed--this momentum, this expansion, and these achievements--represent a transformation witnessed for the first time since independence, all within the last decade," he added.

The PM also acknowledged the contributions of citizens who are kept at the margins of society, saying that they have strived with "unwavering resolve and dedication" for the betterment of the nation. "Over the past 12 years, countless citizens--whether Dalits, the downtrodden, the marginalized, or tribals; whether rural or urban dwellers; the poor or the middle class; youth or the elderly; women or men; from the North, South, East, or West--have all strived in every possible way, with unwavering resolve and dedication, to propel the nation to new heights. I respectfully acknowledge these efforts," PM Modi said.

The PM hoists the National Flag at Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day. The hoisting of the National Flag was synchronised with the 21-Gun Salute by the gunners of the 1721 Field Battery (Ceremonial). The ceremonial battery, utilising the indigenous 105mm Light Field Guns, is commanded by Major Pawan Singh Shekhawat, and the Gun Position Officer is Naib Subedar (Assistant Instructor in Gunnery) Anuthosh Sarkar.   

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