- PM delivers sixth Ramnath Goenka Lecture, hailing Indian growth as a global model
- Says India is “impatient” to become developed and self-reliant
- Highlights social justice, Aspirational Districts Programme and 7% growth amid global crises
- Calls for embracing Indian languages and shedding colonial-era mindset by 2035
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 18th Nov: Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the sixth Ramnath Goenka Lecture in New Delhi, calling India “an emerging model” and emphasising the nation’s growing resolve to become developed and self-reliant. The event, organised by The Indian Express, honoured the legacy of media pioneer Ramnath Goenka, whom the Prime Minister described as a visionary who upheld democracy, fearless journalism and national interest.
Recalling Ramnath Goenka’s commitment to duty, Shri Modi cited anecdotes spanning the freedom movement, the Emergency and various political upheavals, noting that Goenka always placed national interest above ideology. He said today’s India mirrors Goenka’s “positive impatience” — a restless drive to accelerate progress.
Reviewing the turbulence of recent years, including the pandemic, supply chain disruptions, West Asia conflicts and the European crisis, the Prime Minister said India’s economic resilience stood out. Despite global uncertainty, he noted, India’s growth continues to hover around 7 per cent, adding, “The world sees the Indian Growth Model as a model of hope.”
Shri Modi highlighted rising voter participation, citing Bihar’s historic turnout where women outvoted men by nearly nine percent. He said the verdict reflected people’s aspirations and a preference for development-driven governance. He urged all states — irrespective of political ideology — to compete on investment climate, ease of doing business and development outcomes.
Touching upon his own party’s organisational strength, the Prime Minister recalled anecdotes from the Jan Sangh era and said lakhs of workers have built the party “not just to win elections, but to win the hearts of people through service.”
Emphasising that development must reach every section, Shri Modi stated that true social justice lies in ensuring benefits reach the Dalits, the oppressed and the deprived. He noted that over the past decade, India has expanded its social security net from 25 crore to 94 crore people, constructed 12 crore household toilets, facilitated 57 crore Jan Dhan accounts and enabled 4 crore pucca houses. As a result, he said, 25 crore people have risen above poverty in 11 years.
The Prime Minister pointed to the Aspirational Districts Programme as a transformative governance model that turned previously neglected “backward districts” into fast-improving regions. Citing Bastar’s progress, he said the region exemplifies how targeted interventions and strong administration can reverse decades of neglect.
On security, PM Modi said the influence of Maoist extremism has declined across India but alleged that it has grown within the opposition. He claimed that what he termed the “Muslim League–Maoist Congress” had allowed Naxal ideology to take root within institutions.
The Prime Minister dedicated a substantial portion of his address to the need for freeing India from the “Macaulay mindset” imposed in 1835. He said the colonial-era education system uprooted India’s cultural confidence and instilled a belief that progress required foreign models. Stressing that no country thrives by neglecting its heritage or language, he said the National Education Policy restores emphasis on Indian languages and indigenous knowledge systems.
Calling for a ten-year national resolve to undo the psychological and cultural damage of Macaulay’s reforms by 2035, Shri Modi urged citizens to reclaim India’s civilisational confidence.
He concluded by praising the Indian Express Group for safeguarding Ramnath Goenka’s ideals through decades of national change, adding that as India moves toward the goal of becoming a developed nation, the Group remains an important partner in that journey.
