When I was a boy studying in Tiruppur, I had many dreams about our nation. Questions would constantly arise: When will Bharat regain its greatness? When will it rise as a powerful nation on the world stage? When will our poor and underprivileged sisters and brothers get a life of dignity? I am happy to see that the thoughts that I had in my teenage years are now becoming reality.
I would often remind myself of Swami Vivekananda’s words: “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.” These words, proclaimed from the soil of Tamil Nadu, possess immense power to inspire patriotism and commitment. Over the past decade, I have been pleased to see our country functioning with tremendous vigour and determination. We now have the opportunity to witness the truth of Thiruvalluvar’s words: “Those who are steadfast in their determination will achieve exactly what they have envisioned.”
At a time when economic slowdown and uncertainties prevail across the globe, Bharat’s economy is growing strongly. The enthusiasm of the government and the people to make this an era of sustained development is the reason for this progress. What is even more significant is that our economic development has been inclusive.
In the past 12 years, almost 25 crore Bharatvasis have come out of extreme poverty. So far, around 4 crore permanent houses have been built for the homeless. More than 12 crore people have been provided with piped drinking water connections. We aspired to become a nation free from open defecation and within 60 months, the country made this possible for 60 crore people. Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, 5 kg of food grains are being provided free of cost to 80 crore people every year.
I have seen, from a young age, people in villages suffering because they were unable to access medical facilities. Today, the nation is implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme with a commitment to ensuring that healthcare is accessible to all. More than 44 crore people now have insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh; in the past year, 2.5 crore people received free treatment under this scheme.
Our farmers produced 357 million tonnes of food grains in 2025, elevating Bharat to the position of second-largest food producer. It has also become the second-largest rice-producing country. Under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, over Rs 4 lakh crore has been directly transferred to farmers’ accounts so far.
Opportunities are now open for our Nari Shakti to fully contribute to the nation’s development. More than 3 crore women have become Lakhpati Didis and Namo Drone Didis. Women have come forward in every field, be it agriculture, education, medicine, science or space technology. Women are now getting permanent commissions in the armed forces and are taking part in combat roles. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam will further enhance their participation in Parliament and state legislatures.
When we see the younger generation coming forward with enthusiasm for start-ups, it reminds us of the words of Subramania Bharati: “Come, come, come and accomplish what you have envisioned; Let the whole nation rise in unity and prosper; Come, come, come and achieve a great deed.”
For the youth, seven new IITs have been established. The number of IIMs has increased to 21 from 13. The number of AIIMS has tripled to 23 from 7, and medical colleges have more than doubled to 823 from 387. The number of seats for medical students has increased from 51,348 to 1,29,603.
We are also advancing toward world-class standards in infrastructure. The railways have been electrified to almost 99 per cent. Across the country, 164 Vande Bharat Express trains have ushered in a new era. The number of airports has doubled to 163 from 74, and air travel has become accessible for ordinary people under UDAN. The railway budget allocation for Tamil Nadu, around Rs 880 crore in 2014, has increased to Rs 7,600 crore in 2026–27. The new Pamban Bridge between Rameswaram and Pamban is Bharat’s first vertical lift bridge, creating opportunities for spiritual tourism and economic development. World-class four-lane and eight-lane roads, and road connectivity extending even to remote villages, have been developed. In Tamil Nadu, more than 4,000 km of national highways have been constructed since 2014. In the Northeast, national highways covering nearly 7,200 km have been constructed. These developments have been realised due to close monitoring by the Prime Minister under PRAGATI.
The pre- and post-matric scholarship schemes and Eklavya model residential schools have benefitted students belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes respectively.
The border villages, once considered the last villages of Bharat, have now become the first villages and are being developed through the Vibrant Villages Scheme. I happily recall the Prime Minister referring to the northeastern states as the nation’s Ashtalakshmi. Recently, when I visited Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura, and Sikkim, I saw tremendous improvement in transport facilities as well as infrastructure.
The progress the country has achieved in science, technology and innovation fills us with pride. During the pandemic, Bharat ensured that vaccines were developed indigenously and made available free of cost to all at a rapid pace, and provided vaccines to more than 100 countries. The successful launch of Chandrayaan-3 has catapulted Bharat into an era of advanced space exploration. In AI, global companies are choosing Bharat as their hub. We have also secured the second position in mobile phone production globally.
For decades, our country has faced not only the challenges of terrorism but also insurgency and Left-Wing Extremism. Through bold policy decisions and the upholding of law, peace prevails in the nation, and the doors of development have been opened in these areas.
We have set a goal that by 2047, Bharat should become a leading global power and reach a position of guiding the world. This era of hard work is the Amrit Kaal. Just as the thirst for freedom existed in the heart of every freedom fighter, the thought of the nation’s development should now grow in the minds of today’s youth. The words of Swami Vivekananda, “Let us all work hard, my brethren; this is no time for sleep. On our work depends the coming of the India of the future,” show us both inspiration and direction. Let us strive together to create a Viksit Bharat through our hard work.
The writer is the Vice President of India
