AIR Spotlight - President’s Address on the Eve of Republic Day 2022

AIR Spotlight is an insightful program featured daily on the All India Radio Newsonair. In this program, many eminent panellists discuss issues of importance which can be quite helpful in IAS exam preparation. In this article, an interview discussing the “President’s address to the nation on Republic Day” is featured.

Participants:

1. Shekhar Iyer, Political Analyst
2. Sonu Sood, AIR Correspondent

Context:

The article discusses the journey of the Indian Constitution, challenges, and significant achievements of the country in the year gone by.

Background:

• President Ram Nath Kovind addressed the nation on the eve of the 73rd Republic Day. He conveyed his heartfelt wishes, and called it “an occasion to celebrate what is common to us all, our Indianness”. 
• He also paid tribute to India’s freedom fighters “who showed incomparable courage in their pursuit of the dream of Swaraj and fired up the people to fight for it”.
• President recalled the memory of the colonial rule that had left India in utter poverty. 
• But, in the last 75 years and more particularly in recent years, the developments have given the nation a lot of opportunities and the youth have taken advantage of those opportunities.

Indian Constitution:

• The Constitution of India was enacted and adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November 1949, which we now celebrate as Constitution Day. 
• But it was made effective two months later. This was done to mark that day in 1930 when India resolved to win complete freedom. 
• From 1930 to 1947, every year, 26th January was celebrated as ‘Purna Swaraj Day’, and that was the day chosen to put the Constitution into force.
• Writing in 1930, Mahatma Gandhi had advised fellow citizens how ‘Purna Swaraj Day’ was to be celebrated. 
• He wanted us to look inside, introspect and strive to become better human beings, and then also look outside, join hands with others, and contribute towards the making of a better India and a better world. 

Achievements of India:

India against Covid-19:

• The pandemic management was bound to be all the more difficult in India. India has a very high population density, and as a developing economy, India did not have the level of resources and infrastructure needed to battle this invisible enemy. 
• But it is only in such difficult times that the resilience of a nation shines forth. The country has shown an unmatched resolve against the coronavirus. 
• In the first year itself, healthcare infrastructure was raised, and the country also reached out to help others. 
• By the second year, India had developed indigenous vaccines and launched the world’s biggest vaccination drive in history. 
• The vaccination drive is progressing at a quick pace in our country. During the pandemic, we have reached out to several other countries with vaccines and other medical help. This contribution by India has been appreciated by international organizations.

Atmanirbhar Abhiyan:

• The government has shown relentless focus on reforming every economic sector and providing a helping hand wherever necessary.
• The government has launched Atmanirbhar Abhiyan and with the help of timely interventions, the economy is projected to grow at an impressive rate in this fiscal year 2022-23, after going through a contraction in 2020.

Agriculture and Manufacturing:

• The impressive economic performance is made possible due to improvement in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
• The farmers, especially young farmers with small holdings, are enthusiastically adopting natural farming.
• Small and medium enterprises have played an important role in providing employment to people and imparting impetus to the economy. 
• India’s innovative young entrepreneurs have set new benchmarks of success by making effective use of the start-up ecosystem. 
• It is a testimony to the success of our country’s massive and robust digital payment platform that millions of digital transactions are being done every month.

New Education Policy:

• To reap the demographic dividend, the government has created the right environment with the National Education Policy that makes a perfect blend of traditional values and modern skills. 
• The NEP is based on the interests of the students and offers them a diverse set of choices as well as emphasizing the need for primary education in the mother tongue.

Military achievements:

• Dedicated teams from the Indian Navy and Cochin Shipyard Limited have built the indigenous and ultra-modern aircraft carrier ‘IAC – Vikrant’ to be inducted into the Navy. 
• On the strength of such modern military capabilities, India is now counted among the world’s major naval-powered nations.
• Women empowerment in armed forces.

Renewable energy:

• The twenty-first century is being seen as the era of climate change and India has taken a leadership position on the world stage with its bold and ambitious goals for renewable energy.

Also read: International Solar Alliance

Village for local development:

• The President requested the people of India who are successful in life due to their hard work and talent, to always remember their roots, their village, town, or city. He also said that one must serve his/her place of birth and the country.
• If all the successful people of India work sincerely for the development of their birth-places, then the whole country will benefit from the outcome of such local development.

Way Forward:

• India is an ancient civilization but a young republic. Nation-building is a constant endeavour. As in a family, so in a nation; one generation works hard to ensure a better future for the next generation. 
• When India won independence, the exploitation of colonial rule had left us in utter poverty, but in seventy-five years, we have made impressive progress. New opportunities await the next generation. 
• India will continue to march ahead on the path of progress and will definitely secure its rightful place, befitting its potential, in the global community.

Read more Gist of AIR Spotlight here.

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