Marking the 80th Independence Day in the shadow of the Jantar Mantar protests by the youth — which saw the resignation of a Union Minister and the promise of exam reform — Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday underlined “yuva shakti” (youth power) assuring them that the Government was committed to fulfilling their dreams. Calling them the biggest beneficiaries (labharthi) of India’s development journey, he urged the youth to step up and become agents of change.Addressing the nation on Independence Day, Modi announced free online coaching for those preparing for competitive exams, training for 1 crore youth in AI skills and a concerted action plan to expand and nurture sporting talent for the 2036 Olympics. As their duty, he called upon the young to take part in the national Census and help their family digitize their household data which, he said, was key to policy-making.AdvertisementTowards the end of his address, he echoed his ideological refrain about “urban Naxals” and “Andolanjeevis.” He said that while Maoists, who had killed more than 3,000 security personnel and stalled development, had been effectively countered, there were “dimagi Naxals” (those with a Maoist mindset), who were looking for ways to unleash violence and anarchy and push society onto the wrong path.In his 13th address from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Modi went beyond the mantra of self-reliance and outlined seven vital areas — shakti ki sapta dhara – for reform. The goal: to ensure that India can build and scale up domestic capacity to transform itself into an exporting nation and compete globally on an equal or better footing with quality made-in- India products.Must Read | What is Saptadhara? Decoding the key announcements in PM Modi’s Red Fort speechHe peppered his 75-minute speech with references comparing the track record of his government with that of the previous Congress period saying speed in governance has been a defining feature of his 12-year tenure.AdvertisementWhile this theme was a throwback to his earlier addresses, what stood out was how the PM made the youth the front and centre of his address. There were nearly 50 references to “yuva shakti” (youth power), “naujawan” (youth) and “yuva” (youth). “I want to tell the young people of the country: come forward with your dreams; we will ensure that there is no shortage of resources,” he said. “We must take forward the goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by connecting it with the aspirations and participation of our youth,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech, on Saturday. (Express photo by Praveen Khanna)He said the government has “decided to build an extensive network to provide free online coaching for young people preparing for various examinations” so that poor and middle-class families are spared of the economic burden of tutorials. He said the Government has also decided to train 1 crore young people in AI skills in the next one year so that they have the capability to lead in the world in that technology.Modi also announced the launch of a talent hunt in villages, cities and schools across the country to spot budding sporting talent in the 5-16 age group to prepare them for the 2036 Olympics which India is bidding to host.With job creation emerging as a major concern for the youth, Modi sought to broaden the definition of employment — projecting startups, AI, aviation, sports, drones, electric vehicles and the bio-economy, among other things, as emerging employment avenues.Also Read | Why astrologers opposed August 15 as India’s Independence Day“When I speak of a ‘Viksit Bharat’, when I speak of taking the country forward at a rapid pace, who is the greatest beneficiary of all these efforts? Who is the greatest force driving these efforts? If there is one, it is the youth of my country, the youth power of the country. The youth have a very important role to play in the journey towards a ‘Viksit Bharat’. Not only that, the greatest beneficiary of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ will also be the youth of my country. Therefore, we must take forward the goal of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by connecting it with the aspirations and participation of our youth. We must move forward with our youth as our highest priority,” he said.Modi said India could withstand global challenges and headwinds, including the “weaponization” of resources by many countries, because of his government’s thrust on self-reliance. This wasn’t defined as economic isolation. In fact, he coupled it with an aggressive export agenda. Referring to free trade agreements being negotiated or signed with around 40 countries, he urged MSMEs to use this opening to enter global markets.He framed self-reliance as building capacities along “sapta dhara” — seven streams through which India can build global capabilities and become a developed country: manufacturing, agro-food production and food processing, technology and innovation, logistics and faster connectivity, defence and security, green and blue economy; and soft power.He called for complete manufacturing value chains, global-scale food exports, Made-in-India 6G, stronger defence exports, green hydrogen and renewable energy, and greater use of India’s cultural and creative strengths. He said India has already begun production at three semiconductor plants, and five to eight more plants are expected to come up in the coming years.“There was a time when I used to talk about self-reliance, some people sitting in air-conditioned chambers used to tell us what will happen to globalization. But the world is seeing that in the last decade it seems the world has stopped talking about globalization…Every nation has turned its focus to addressing its own specific challenges; however, regrettably, during this period of crisis, some have engaged in the game of weaponizing resources to assert their dominance. The world is currently intent on weaponizing whatever assets it possesses. Resources such as petrol, diesel, fertilizers, medicines, and technology chips are being weaponized; indeed, even territory itself is being weaponized,” he said.Also Read | How independent does my state want me to be?“We have to reach the world, every product of India should reach the world market. Whether it is our textile, machinery, medicines…we should not leave any opportunity, but we have to match and better the global parameters. We need to offer products that are superior in quality and more affordable than what is currently available worldwide,” he said.“We have embarked on the ‘Reform Express’ and we are going to move towards next level reform in the coming days as well and hence the government, society, industry, producers, farmers, everyone will have to reform their traditional systems, reform their thinking, reform their goals,” he said.Flagging free trade agreements, the PM said these unlocked countless opportunities that must be seized by all. “Our farmers now have access to global markets. Because of FTAs, we are getting access to a very large market, and we must reach those markets. We must tap into that opportunity. We have to move from the farm to the export market,” Modi said.“Today, the world is one of AI, quantum, space, robotics and data centres. New areas have opened up,” he said, underlining that India must respond to the challenges posed by emerging technologies by becoming a global innovation hub rather than merely a market.He also put energy security, semiconductor manufacturing and advanced technology at the centre of India’s next phase of growth, while calling for faster reforms and challenging Indian companies to become global leaders as the country seeks to become a developed economy by 2047.you may likeAlso Read | ‘Rattled’, ‘desperate to curb dissent’: Opposition slams PM Modi over ‘dimagi Naxal’ jibeThe PM touched upon two politically charged themes: women’s representation and the continuing ideological battle against the Maoist movement. Modi made a direct appeal to all political parties to support the implementation of the 33% quota for women in the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. “You also take credit, but give our women their rights,” he said in a message directed at the Opposition while pressing for an early roll-out of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam passed by Parliament in 2023.This was a pointed political intervention because implementation of this constitutional amendment legislation is tied to the delimitation exercise and the subsequent allocation of seats.The security message was also layered. Modi warned against complacency after the decline of the Maoist violence, saying that while India had defeated Maoists with guns, “dimaagi Naxals” continued to sit in institutions and influence policy. At the same time, national security was placed within the broader Atmanirbharta framework: India, he said, must develop next-generation defence technologies and move towards becoming a global supplier.