Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday stressed the importance of individuals, organizations, and governments working together to make the planet more prosperous and sustainable, and asserted that nearly 1.4 billion Indians are making every possible effort to make the earth cleaner and greener. Addressing the Rotary International Convention, Modi praised the organization's diversity and vibrancy, and its members' desire to make the planet better, noting that people live in an inter-dependent, inter-related and inter-connected world.
"That is why it is important that individuals, organizations, and governments work together to make our planet more prosperous and sustainable. I am glad to see Rotary International work hard on several causes that have a positive impact on the earth," he said.
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Citing India's efforts to make the environment cleaner, the prime minister said renewable energy is a growing sector in India, and at the global level India has taken the lead in forming the International Solar Alliance. "India is working towards 'One Sun, One World, One Grid'. At the recently held COP-26 Summit in Glasgow, I had spoken about LIFE - Lifestyle for Environment. This refers to every human leading an environmentally conscious life. India's commitments on net-zero (emissions) by 2070 were also appreciated by the world community," he said.
Praising the organization for working on providing clean drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene to the masses, he said India started the 'Swachh Bharat Mission in 2014 and achieved near total sanitation coverage in five years."This benefitted the poor and the women of India in particular. At present, India is marking 75 years since freedom from colonial rule. A new collective movement has taken shape to save water. This movement is inspired by our age-old practices of water conservation combined with modern solutions," he said.
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He also referred to the "Aatmabirbhar Bharat" program, noting that its aim is to make India self-reliant and to also contribute to global prosperity. India is among the largest and fastest-growing start-up eco-systems in the world, the prime minister said, adding that each of these start-ups is seeking to provide solutions to global challenges. India remains open to learning from global best practices and sharing them with others, he said. India is home to one-seventh of humanity, and any achievement will have a positive impact on the world, Modi added.
When the "once in a century COVID-19 pandemic" came, people thought India with its large population would not be much successful in the fight against the pandemic, he said. "The people of India proved them wrong. India has administered almost 2 billion doses to our people. Similarly, India is working to eliminate TB by 2025. This is 5 years before the global target of 2030. I have given just a few examples," he said, urging the Rotary members to support these efforts at the grassroots.
He also asked the community group to participate in events on International Day of Yoga on June 21 in large numbers. Noting that yoga is an effective way to mental, physical, intellectual, and spiritual wellness, he asked the Rotary family to encourage its regular practice among its members.
