India’s No. 1 Hindi news channel, News18 India, hosted its flagship summit in New Delhi. The seventh edition of the marquee initiative, News18 India Chaupal, saw a stellar conclave of the nation’s topmost political leaders, thought leaders, and youth icons who deliberated and shared insights about India’s role as ‘Vishwaguru’. Bringing together the biggest names from a myriad of industries and affiliations in one forum, News18 India Chaupal hosted the leaders of the country as they reflected on and discussed a host of integral issues against the backdrop of global geopolitical developments. As India emerges as a leader on the world stage and establishes a model of good governance for the world to emulate, News18 India Chaupal provided a stage for these eminent personalities to share their opinion on the current scenario and their vision for the future of the nation.
BJP National President, Shri JP Nadda speaking at the 7th Edition of News18 India Chaupal Summit
Speaking from the forum of News18 India Chaupal, Hon’ble Education Minister, Shri. Dharmendra Pradhan said, “We are working proactively to reduce the stress for our students. Our commitment has always been to create a conducive learning environment that can help students achieve their highest potential. Through holistic skill-based training and integrated vocational guidance, we are empowering India’s youth to become self-reliant and attain gainful employment. We are also providing various initiatives to encourage and empower more girls to enroll in school and complete their secondary education. Our aim has always been to provide an inclusive and holistic education for everyone across the nation. As we prepare the next generation of entrepreneurs in our country, we will create incubation agencies to bolster innovation and technology-based growth in the perceivable future.”
Speaking on the occasion, Hon’ble Minister of Railways & IT, Shri. Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “The Indian Railways has grown leaps and bounds in last few years and currently provides employment opportunities directly and indirectly to 3.89 lakh people. We will be expanding this capacity further by 1 lakh people in the coming years.” On the country’s current IT scenario the minister said, “Today, we are setting new milestones in inclusive development and social upliftment. India has the highest concentration of AI innovators in the world. With our Digital India push, the nation will emerge as the pioneer of the next generation of AI technology. Looking towards future horizons, our focus will be on expanding the last mile of telecom connectivity and digital inclusive growth. Currently, India contributes 230 billion dollars towards the world IT industry, with over 80,000 start-ups, that employ 53 lakh personnel. Furthermore, under the visionary leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, we have filed over 100 patents with 6G technology as we establish India as a digital hub. Our commitment is to foster 360 Digital Villages that will become focal points for holistic growth and inclusive good governance.”
The speaker of the next session Hon’ble Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri. Mansukh Mandaviya said, “For us, healthcare is not commerce; for us, healthcare is a service. India has emerged from the disruptions and uncertainties of the pandemic stronger and more resilient than ever before. We have empowered our Make in India vaccine and distributed over 100 crore dosages across the country. India has emerged as a pioneer of the sustainable development model. Through our Indian vaccine, we have not only safeguarded our citizens but also expanded our vaccine diplomacy across the globe. Today, India has provided vaccine dosages to over 150 countries and continues to play a pivotal role in global geopolitics. Furthermore, India has also emerged as the World’s Pharmacy and our Indian-made essential drugs are being distributed in both developed and developing nations alike.”
Emphasizing the government’s focus on transparent, result-oriented, and qualitative work, the Hon’ble Minister of Road Transportation and Highways, Shri. Nitin Gadkari said, “The growth and development seen in India is testimony to the government’s steadfast commitment. We believe that politics is the instrument of socioeconomic reforms, and hence, the Centre is developing logistics clusters worth Rs 2 lakh crore across the country. The visible change in the development of infrastructure in the country speaks for the performance of the government led by PM Modi. Our aim has been to focus on Agriculture Science, Water Conservation, Waste Management, Plastic Recycling, and Renewable Energy, all of which are crucial factors that will define this decade. Under the able leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri. Narendra Modi ji, we have worked for the inclusive growth of every sector and community. Working on public sector transport, we are striving to continually lower the costs of electric vehicles and provide better service to the public. The construction of roads is a way to achieve progress, employment, and development; therefore, I have conducted work in my department worth more than Rs. 50 lakh crore. Today, we are striving to make public e-vehicles more affordable so that we not only lower traffic congestion but also reduce urban pollution. Our mission is to reduce air, water, and noise pollution in Delhi by 50 to 60 percent in the coming years. Delhi is the pride of the nation, and we will endeavour to allocate 1000 crores towards the cleaning and expansion of the capital’s roads and logistical capacities. To reduce the import of aluminium, copper, and plastics, we have introduced a scrapping policy. We welcome Tesla to India, but they have their own conditions for entry into the market. Only through modernizing our roads and highways, can we create industrial clusters, develop logistic parks, establish smart cities, and bolster our sustainable development models. Water, power, transport, and communication are needed for national wealth generation and the prerequisites for generating new avenues of employment. Our government is conviction-oriented and goal-centric. Our modus operandi has always been to create economically viable, technology-enabled, corruption-free, sustainable development models that benefit the common man of India.”
The magnum opus event was brought to a befitting end by an address by the head of the ruling party, Shri. J.P. Nadda who gave an inspirational speech on the growth of the nation in the past 9 years. He spoke impassionedly on inclusivity and good governance, reiterating his party’s manifesto of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Prayas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Vikaas’. In his speech, Shri. J.P. Nadda said, “India is a powerhouse in itself, and today the world recognizes this more than ever before. Under the dynamic leadership of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India has emerged stronger and more resilient even as the world’s geopolitics are in flux. When he first became the Prime Minister, he focused on India’s neighbour-first policy and Act East policy and provided a healing touch to the SAARC countries. India has grown in stature, and the PM has made a firm India first policy the foundation of all foreign affairs. Indian policy is no longer influenced by western politics. India stands proud and independent. We are no longer hyphenated with Pakistan, no longer bracketed by the rogue nation that is a sponsor of global terrorism.”
“PM Modi worked tirelessly to establish India’s soft power on the world stage. His charisma and personal camaraderie with all the world leaders are well documented. He visited both Israel and Palestine. He visited both the US and Russia. He established strong interpersonal relations with Muslim-majority Middle Eastern Countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar. Under the PM’s leadership, India has learned to be proud of its cultural heritage. Today, Rupay Cards and UPI payments are accessible to the local vegetable vendor. The dream of a truly digital India was realized by Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi ji, who has integrated ADHAAR with the Ayushman Bharat initiative, ensuring that every beneficiary can avail of healthcare benefits worth Rs. 5 lakhs with just a fingerprint. This digital transformation has become the envy of the world. When Modi ji speaks, the world listens and takes note. This is evident by the praise and accolades bestowed upon the Indian PM by world leaders from Japan, Italy, Russia, US.”
He further added, “Even when other Indian political parties and opposition leaders play divisive politics on the world stage, PM Modi has played the role of a great unifier, world healer, and prolific communicator. Under PM Modi’s leadership, government policies are more focused and galvanized to empower the impoverished. A quintessential example is the centre’s free ration scheme, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna, which feeds 80 lakh poor and marginalized people by distributing free wheat every month. The Ujjwala Scheme, which provided LPG connections to women below the poverty line, as well as the Saubhagya Scheme, which provided last-mile connectivity and electricity connections to every rural household, further complement this free ration initiative. Additionally, we have worked under the Swachh Bharat Scheme to build toilets in every household in the country. By giving this last mile delivery, PM Modi has given the rural women their self-respect back and ensured the health and security of women and children in poor and marginalized communities.”
