Surprise visit signals possible thawing of India-Pakistan relations

In a bid to reach out to the people, the PM invited people to connect with him by downloading the “Narendra Modi App”.

“My dear young friends, in my August 15 address from the Red Fort, I had made preliminary mention about “Start-up India, Stand-up India”. After that, this spread to all the departments of the government. Can India be a “Start-up Capital”? “Be it manufacturing, service sector or agriculture, this new initiative will bring in new ideas, new ways, and new innovations”. The world doesn’t grow without innovation and opportunity for the youth. The programme will be created to suit Indian conditions and is expected to focus on ensuring benefits for the youth from the lowest strata of society, Modi said. In another major announcement, he said that the action plan for “Start Up India, Stand Up India” – his government’s campaign to boost entrepreneurship – will be announced on January 16. A structure will be presented before you.

Stating that every youth associated with IITs, IIMs, central universities and NITs will be linked to this programme through liveconnectivity, Modi said the talent of our youth is not restricted to a few cities. To a question, he said promotion of good relations with all neighbours is the policy of Prime Minister Sharif as this is a pre-requisite to benefit from projects aimed at regional connectivity and resolution of energy crisis. “Let us hope it leads to an improvement in trust between Delhi and Islamabad”, said R Nicholas Burns, Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Giving an idea, he said if some youth develops something through innovation to make a poor labourer’s life comfortable, he would ask banks to help such people.

“Start-up India, Stand-up India has brought new opportunity for the youth of our country”. He also appealed to citizens to clean the statues of national and state leaders as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan before January 26. It gives me vast pleasure that people tell me a lot of positive things happening. His connect was excellent when he was not the Prime Minister. The year 2016 would mark the 125th birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar, the main architect of the Indian Constitution.

The address by the Prime Minister lasted just about 20 minutes in which he greeted the country for the festive season and said that the government will design the Start-Up India programme according to the needs of the country.