Editor's Pick: Will return with a report card in 2024, PM Modi says at Red Fort

In his last Independence Day speech ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he will be back next year to present India’s achievements. “Next time, on August 15, at this very Red Fort, I will speak of the achievements of our country, the potential and resolve of our people and their success and self-confidence,” he said in a speech that lasted around 89 minutes. Mr. Modi also “guaranteed” that in his next term, India will become the third largest economy in the world. India needs to rid itself of corruption, dynasty politics, and appeasement politics to develop further, he added. India’s future economic power will mainly come from Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns and a new middle class, taking India into the league of developed nations as early as in 2047 when the country will complete hundred years of independence, he said. Manipur also found a mention in Prime Minister Modi’s Independence Day speech, after the Opposition members made relentless demands for a statement from him on the issue, during the recently concluded Monsoon session of the Parliament. “In the north-east, especially in Manipur, a period of violence has ensued, many people died, many of our mothers and sisters were disrespected,” he said, adding that peace is slowly returning to the State, although no accountability for the violence was mentioned. Mr. Modi took the opportunity to pitch his government’s initiatives. He announced that interest rate subvention will be given to the urban poor to buy houses. Under the Vishwakarma Yojana, to be launched next month, ₹1,300 crore to ₹1,500 crore will be allocated for people with traditional skills to encourage them in their craft. He also announced a programme to train women in self-help groups to use and repair drones, which will be deployed in agricultural work. The number of Jan Aushadhi Kendras will be increased from 10,000 to 25,000 in the coming years, he added. Mr. Modi’s speech, although optimistic about the future of the country, was also self-congratulatory. In a rebuttal by the Congress, former Minister Jairam Ramesh said that PM Modi gave a “crass election speech filled with distortions, lies, exaggerations and vague promises”. The Hindu’s Editorials From the ramparts: On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address A surge foretold: On inflation data The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz Who is India’s Union Minister of State for Ayush? Mansukh L. Mandaviya Pashu Pati Kumar Paras Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 16 August 2023 [The Hindu logo] In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [Arrow]( [Open in browser]( [Mail icon]( [More newsletters]( Independence Day: Will return with a report card in 2024, PM Modi says at Red Fort In his last [Independence Day speech]( ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he will be back next year to present India’s achievements. “Next time, on August 15, at this very Red Fort, I will speak of the achievements of our country, the potential and resolve of our people and their success and self-confidence,” he said in a speech that lasted around 89 minutes. Mr. Modi also “guaranteed” that in his next term, India will become the third largest economy in the world. India needs to rid itself of corruption, dynasty politics, and appeasement politics to develop further, he added. India’s future economic power will mainly come from Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns and a new middle class, taking India into the league of developed nations as early as in 2047 when the country will complete hundred years of independence, he said. Manipur also found a mention in Prime Minister Modi’s Independence Day speech, after the Opposition members made relentless demands for a statement from him on the issue, during the recently concluded Monsoon session of the Parliament. “In the north-east, especially in Manipur, a period of violence has ensued, many people died, many of our mothers and sisters were disrespected,” he said, adding that peace is slowly returning to the State, although no accountability for the violence was mentioned. Mr. Modi took the opportunity to pitch his government’s initiatives. He announced that interest rate subvention will be given to the urban poor to buy houses. Under the Vishwakarma Yojana, to be launched next month, ₹1,300 crore to ₹1,500 crore will be allocated for people with traditional skills to encourage them in their craft. He also announced a programme to train women in self-help groups to use and repair drones, which will be deployed in agricultural work. The number of Jan Aushadhi Kendras will be increased from 10,000 to 25,000 in the coming years, he added. Mr. Modi’s speech, although optimistic about the future of the country, was also [self-congratulatory](. In a [rebuttal by the Congress]( former Minister Jairam Ramesh said that PM Modi gave a “crass election speech filled with distortions, lies, exaggerations and vague promises”.  The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][From the ramparts: On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address]( [Arrow][A surge foretold: On inflation data]( The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz Who is India’s Union Minister of State for Ayush? - Mansukh L. Mandaviya - Pashu Pati Kumar Paras - Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti - Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here](. 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