From the Red Fort on 15th August, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has made his 12th consecutive Independence Day speech, where he has talked about many things, including GST reforms, Mission Sudarshan Chakra, and the geopolitical situation that is affecting India at present. A major change announced by the Prime Minister is a change in the GST slab. During the address, Mr. Modi said that the GST rates on essential commodities will come down from October this year, and the uniformity in slabs will be further expanded.
An employment scheme for the youth has also been launched. As per reports, the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rojgar Yojana, with a guarantee of 15,000 rupees to first-time applicants in private jobs and help more than 3.5 crore beneficiaries. To give a boost to the electronics sector, indigenous semiconductor chips will be floated in the Indian market by the end of 2025. The Sudarshan Chakra scheme, named after the mythological weapon used by Lord Krishna during the Mahabharat war, has been launched for the safety and security of important infrastructures and will be completed in 2035.
During the speech, the Prime Minister also discussed relations with the world and highlighted that the terms of the Indus water treaty will be revisited to ensure that the rights of the citizens are guarded. He has also iterated India’s energy achievement, as we have achieved the 50% renewable energy target ahead of the 2030 deadline. The recent events were also discussed as the Prime Minister went on to praise Indian soldiers for the indelible Operation Sindoor. The speech given by the Prime Minister on the 79th Independence Day was 103 minutes long, and is the longest speech given by a Prime Minister in the history of the country.
Last year, the I-day speech was 98 minutes long, also the longest to date; the record was broken by the speech this year. By delivering 12 speeches in a row, Mr. Modi has also broken the record of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and is only behind Jawaharlal Nehru, who has delivered 17 speeches.
