Lead India’s Journey to Developed Nation by 2047: Modi Urges Youth

Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called upon young Indians to help build a developed India by 2047, saying the country’s preparations to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and its ambition to stage the 2036 Olympics would create unprecedented opportunities for the next generation.

Addressing the golden jubilee celebrations of Jaigopal Garodia Hindu Vidyalaya in Chennai, Modi said India’s youth possessed the ideas, talent and determination needed not only to shape the country’s future but also to offer solutions to challenges facing the world.

“Today, the world is looking for solutions, and you have the potential to provide those solutions,” he said, urging students to dream big, think differently and work fearlessly to realise their ambitions.

The Prime Minister said India was witnessing a rapid expansion of educational opportunities. The number of universities had increased from about 750 in 2014 to more than 1,300, while colleges had grown from around 38,000 to over 52,000. He also referred to the expansion of institutions such as the IITs, IIMs, IIITs and AIIMS.

Under the National Education Policy, he said, the quality and global recognition of Indian institutions were improving. India’s representation in the QS rankings had risen from 14 universities in 2015 to 52 in the latest rankings, he added.

Modi said sports were no longer being viewed merely as entertainment. New facilities, specialised training and institutional support were helping young athletes pursue sports as a career. India’s preparations for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and its aspiration to host the 2036 Olympics would provide Indian sportspersons with platforms to compete at the highest level, he said.

“I have full confidence that your generation will take India to new heights in the world of sports,” he told the students.

Congratulating the World Hindu Vidya Kendra and the Hindu Vidyalaya family on completing 50 years, he recalled the institution’s modest beginnings in 1975, when it started in West Mambalam with only seven students and limited resources. The organisation now runs 15 institutions in different parts of Tamil Nadu.

He acknowledged the contribution of Jaigopal Garodia to the school’s development and praised teachers, employees, parents and former students for sustaining the institution’s educational mission.

The Prime Minister said the school had combined education with patriotism and social responsibility. He recalled how students had saved one rupee a day to support the country’s soldiers, raising nearly Rs 40 lakh. He said such small contributions could create a significant impact during disasters and in cleanliness initiatives.

Referring to Tamil cultural icons, Modi recalled the teachings of Thiruvalluvar and the fearless message of Mahakavi Subramania Bharati’s “Achamillai, Achamillai.” He urged students to carry Tamil culture across India, share its literature and traditions, and build friendships across linguistic and regional backgrounds.

Concluding his address, Modi led the students in pledging to build a developed India by 2047, make the country a top-three economy, achieve self-reliance, establish India as a global manufacturing hub, host the Olympics and send Indians to the Moon.

“Your generation is the biggest hero of India’s magnificent future,” he said.