PM's remarks after the launch of gold related schemes

PM's remarks after the launch of gold related schemes

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today launched three gold related schemes at a function at 7, Race Course Road. 

The schemes are – Gold Monetization Scheme, Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme, and India Gold Coins.

In his remarks on the occasion, the Prime Minister described the schemes as an example of "sone pe suhaaga" (icing on the cake).

The Prime Minister said India has no reason to be described as a poor country, as it has 20,000 tonnes of gold. He said the gold available with the country should be put to productive use, and these schemes show us the way to achieve this goal.

The Prime Minister said gold has often been a source of women's empowerment in Indian society, and these schemes will underscore that sense of empowerment.

The Prime Minister spoke of the great bond of trust that the family goldsmith enjoys in India. He said that once the goldsmiths of India gain familiarity with the schemes, they could become the biggest agents of these schemes.

Shri Narendra Modi described the launch of the India Gold Coins, bearing the Ashok Chakra, as a matter of pride for the nation. He said people would no longer have to depend on foreign minted gold bullion or coins.

The Prime Minister also launched a website on these schemes, and distributed Certificates of Investment to six initial investors.

Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley, Union Minister of State (I/c) for Commerce Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, and Union Minister of State for Finance Shri Jayant Sinha were present on the occasion. 

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PM lays foundation stone for 3 highway projects at Sonepat

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today laid the foundation stone for three highway projects at Sonepat in Haryana.

Addressing a public meeting, the Prime Minister said that it is not money that builds roads, but it is roads which generate money.

The Prime Minister said infrastructure projects such as roads and power are the first pre-requisite of development. He added that once infrastructure is in place, development and quality of life improves. Shri Narendra Modi said these highways would give pace to Haryana's growth.

The Prime Minister said the Union Government is working towards removing bottlenecks and simplifying procedures to speed up implementation of infrastructure projects. He mentioned the PRAGATI interactions with various Ministries and States that he chairs every month, to resolve issues in pending projects.

The Prime Minister reiterated his vision of connecting 18000 unconnected villages with power supply within 1000 days, and ensuring 24x7 power supply to all parts of the country by 2022.

Union Ministers Shri Nitin Gadkari and Ch Birender Singh were present on the occasion. 

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PM's remarks after releasing the IMPRINT India brochure at the Visitors' Conference at Rashtrapati Bhavan

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today released the IMPRINT India brochure at the Visitors' Conference at Rashtrapati Bhavan. ‘IMPRINT India’ is a Pan-IIT and IISc joint initiative to develop a roadmap for research to solve major engineering and technology challenges in ten technology domains relevant to India.

In his remarks on the occasion, the Prime Minister laid stress on the importance of innovation and technology for the progress and development of the nation. He said institutions of higher education should give primacy to innovation in learning. He said finding solutions to challenges like global warming and converting waste to wealth, were key to rise of India. He exhorted institutions of higher learning to focus on areas such as defence manufacturing. "Science is universal but technology must be local," the Prime Minister said. He called for enhanced industry-academia partnerships.

The Prime Minister praised the President as an ocean of knowledge, and appreciated his initiatives towards higher education.