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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2018 will ‘especially be remembered through the ages.’ Addressing the nation through the last ‘Mann ki Baat’ episode of the year, PM Modi said, “The Republic Day will be celebrated with leaders of all 10 ASEAN countries coming to India as chief guests. This is unprecedented in India's history.”
The year 2017 has been special for both ASEAN and India. ASEAN completed its 50 years of formation in 2017 and in 2017, 25 years of India's partnership with ASEAN were completed, he added. Modi said that the government will also be taking stock of the cleanliness programmes through a survey. He said. “Cleanliness Survey 2018, the largest in the world, will be conducted from January 4, 2018 to March 10, 2018 to evaluate achievements in cleanliness level of our urban areas. This survey will cover a population of more than 40 crores in more than four thousand cities.”
“During this survey, the matters to be surveyed include freedom from defecation in the open in cities, collection of garbage, transport facilities to lift garbage, processing of garbage using scientific methods, efforts to usher in behavioural changes, innovative steps taken for capacity building to maintain cleanliness and public participation in this campaign,” he added.
Explaining the mechanism that will be adopted, Modi said, “Separate teams will go to cities for inspection. They will talk to the people there and gather their reactions. They will analyse the use of the Cleanliness App and also about bringing reforms and improvements in various kinds of service centres. It will also be observed whether the cities have created a system wherein cleanliness of cities will became public habit, or the city's habit for that matter.”
Mock Parliament
PM Modi said that 2018 will be a special year as those born in the 21st century will gradually begin to become eligible voters this year. He said, “The Indian Democracy welcomes the voters of the 21st century, the ‘New India Voters.” Modi said that a new India should also emerge that will be free from casteism, communalism, terrorism and corruption. “Youth should come forward and deliberate on how this New India would be formed,” he added.
He said, “I got an idea whether we could organise a mock parliament in every district of India? Where the youth between 18 and 25 could sit together and brainstorm about new India, find ways and chalk our plans.”
Setting a target for Independence Day next year, Modi proposed that a mock Parliament will be organized around the August 15 in Delhi. The mock parliament will comprise young representatives selected from every district of India who would participate and deliberate on how a new India could be formed in the next five years.
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