NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the mantra of ‘women-led development’ is creating a new future for India. He stressed that the women are not only charting a fresh course for themselves but also for society at large.In his monthly radio broadcast Mann Ki Baat, the PM highlighted numerous examples of women-led initiatives from across the country.He said, “In India, from health to social security, the country is moving ahead with the feeling of saturation in every field. This is also a great picture of social justice. These successes have instilled a belief that the coming times will make India stronger.”A vast majority of the Indian population is now benefiting from some form of social protection. Referring to a recent report by the International Labour Organization, he said, “The report mentions that over 64% of the country’s population is now definitely availing of some social protection benefit or the other. Social Security is one of the biggest coverage in the world.”He went on to say that approximately 95 crore people in the country are currently availing benefits from various social security schemes. In contrast, back in 2015, less than 25 crore people were covered.Taking a veiled swipe at the previous Congress-led government, without naming it directly, the PM remarked, “Just a few days ago, the imposition of Emergency on the country completed its 50 years. We countrymen have observed the ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’. We should always remember all those people who fought the Emergency with fortitude.”During the broadcast, PM Modi also played excerpts from speeches by former PMs Morarji Desai and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, as well as former Deputy PM Jagjivan Ram, all referencing the Emergency period.Among other examples of empowerment, the he spoke of Bodoland’s rise in the realm of sports. The PM also celebrated what he termed a “remarkable milestone” — the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring India trachoma-free — and praised healthcare workers for their instrumental role.He added, “The ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ helped in eradicating it. The ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ also contributed a lot to this success. Today, when clean water is reaching every home through taps, the risk of such ailments has reduced.”
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