Telemedicine facility is being expanded in all Primary Health Centres: PM

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Post-Budget Webinar on Employment via video conferencing today. 

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, he highlighted the importance of the theme of the webinar, "Investing in People, Economy, and Innovation," which defines the roadmap for Viksit Bharat. 

He remarked that this year's budget reflects this theme on a large scale and serves as a blueprint for India's future. He emphasized that investments have been prioritized equally across infrastructure, industries, people, economy, and innovation. Underlining that capacity building and talent nurturing are foundational for the nation's progress, Modi urged all stakeholders to step forward and invest more in these areas as the next phase of development requires it. He stressed that this is essential for the country's economic success and forms the basis of every organization's success.

“The vision of investing in people stands on three pillars: education, skill, and healthcare”, said  Modi, remarking that India's education system is undergoing a significant transformation after several decades. He emphasized key initiatives such as the National Education Policy, the expansion of IITs, the integration of technology into the education system, and the utilization of AI's full potential. Underlying the efforts like the digitization of textbooks and the availability of learning materials in 22 Indian languages, the PM said, “these mission-mode efforts have enabled India's education system to align with the needs and parameters of the 21st-century world”.

Highlighting that since 2014, the government has provided skill training to over 3 crore youth, the Prime Minister mentioned the upgrade of 1,000 ITIs and the establishment of 5 Centers of Excellence. He emphasized the goal of equipping youth with training that meets the needs of industries. He remarked that with the help of global experts, efforts are being made to ensure that Indian youth can compete at the world level. 

Modi underlined the critical role of industry and academia in these initiatives and urged industries and educational institutions to understand and fulfill each other's needs, providing youth with opportunities to adapt to the rapidly changing world, gain exposure, and access platforms for practical learning. Highlighting the launch of the PM-Internship Scheme to provide youth with new opportunities and practical skills, he stressed the importance of ensuring maximum industry participation at every level in this initiative.

Touching upon the medical field, Modi mentioned the addition of 10,000 new medical seats in this budget and a target of adding 75,000 seats in the medical field over the next five years has been set. He highlighted the expansion of telemedicine facilities across all Primary Health Centres. He also emphasized the establishment of daycare cancer centers and the development of digital healthcare infrastructure to ensure quality healthcare reaches the last mile. He said that these initiatives will have a transformative impact on people's lives. The Prime Minister said that these efforts will create numerous new employment opportunities for youth and urged stakeholders to work swiftly to implement these initiatives, ensuring the benefits of budget announcements reach the maximum number of people.

Pointing out that over the past decade, investments in the economy have been guided by a futuristic vision, the Prime Minister remarked that by 2047, India's urban population is projected to reach approximately 90 crore, necessitating planned urbanization. He announced the initiative to establish a ₹1 lakh crore Urban Challenge Fund, focusing on governance, infrastructure, and financial sustainability, while also boosting private investment. “Indian cities will be recognized for sustainable urban mobility, digital integration, and climate resilience plans”, emphasized the Prime Minister. He urged the private sector, particularly the real estate and industrial sectors, to prioritize and advance planned urbanization. He also stressed the importance of collaborative efforts to further initiatives like AMRUT 2.0 and the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Emphasising the need to focus on the potential of the tourism sector while discussing investments in the economy, Shri Modi highlighted that the tourism sector has the potential to contribute up to 10% of India's GDP and create employment opportunities for crores of youth. He mentioned several measures in the budget to promote domestic and international tourism. “50 destinations across the country will be developed with a focus on tourism”, said the Prime Minister adding  that granting infrastructure status to hotels in these destinations will enhance ease of tourism and boost local employment. Highlighting the expansion of the Mudra Yojana to support homestays, Shri Modi also stressed that initiatives like 'Heal in India' and 'Land of the Buddha' to attract global tourists. “Efforts are being made to establish India as a global tourism and wellness hub”, he added.