Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his emphasis on entrepreneurship development and job creation and announced incentives for companies that generate new employment opportunities. He also launched a new campaign ‘Start up India, Stand up India’ to promote bank financing for start-ups by the underprivileged ones of the society.
In his second Independence Day speech as the PM, Modi announced that the Union agriculture Ministry will be renamed as the ‘Ministry for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare’ with a view to take care of the needs of farming community. He also added that the government is on its way on developing the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme for ex servicemen but did not a specify a timeline for its implementation and drawing sharp reactions from them.
With the view to make India corruption free Modi proposed that Rs 6,500 crore undeclared foreign assets will be brought back to India and the government will frame a tough black money law it’s the drive will continue despite of the side effects.
On implementing the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) which comprises of a series of steps taken to tackle the menace of black money in the country an amount of Rs 4,500 crore flowed backed into India during the last 10 months
He also added that each of the 1.25 lakh bank branches in the country should encourage at least one Dalit or Adivasi entrepreneur or at least one woman entrepreneur to carry on their activities and as part of the Skill India and Digital India initiative the PM announced incentives to manufacturing units that generates new jobs.
Modi also questioned the practice of “interviews’” for recruitments even at junior levels and asked departments concerned for this to end this practice and promote merit based recruitment through transparent and online processes. The PM reiterated that his government’s aim is to make India as a developed nation by 2022 by providing a house and access to basic services like electricity to every citizen in the country. Modi also spoke about the various labor welfare programmes launched by his government such as Atal Pension Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana.
He also added that 10 crore people have enrolled for social security schemes in 100 days and 17 crore bank accounts were opened under the Jan-Dhan Yojana. Although these accounts were to be zero-balance accounts, people deposited about Rs 20,000 crore in them which reflects the richness among India’s poor.
