BJP govt made women high-fliers, says Modi

Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at three cities, hailed the advancements made by women in the aviation sector — 15 per cent of all pilots were women in India, three per cent more than the global average  — and said the government was striving to host the 2036 Olympic Games to provide international exposure to sportspersons and make India the hub of global sports ecosystem.

At the first event at Solapur in Maharashtra, Modi got emotional while handing over keys to 90,000 beneficiaries of the PM Awas Yojna-Urban housing scheme. He said that he wished he had an opportunity to live in such a pucca house as a child. At a public meeting, he slammed the Congress for not working to remove poverty.

“People used to eat half a roti and say they would vote for the Congress. Why will you eat half the roti? Now there is Modi, you will eat the whole roti. This is the difference," the Prime Minister said.

The PM said that the schemes were made in the name of the poor but the real and deserving people did not get the benefits of the scheme. “In previous governments, the middlemen used to loot the money meant for the poor. It means the intentions, policies and priorities of the previous governments were doubtful. Our intention is good and our policy is to empower the poor. Our loyalty is towards the country. My loyalty is to make India a developed nation,” Modi said in his 40-minute address.

In Bengaluru, speaking at the inauguration of the Boeing Sukanya programme and the Boeing India Engineering and Technology, the Prime Minister said he was proud that India was a leader in the number of women pilots. He said approximately 15 per cent of pilots in the country were women, three percentage points above the global rate.

Modi was confident that the Boeing Sukanya Programme would contribute to an increased participation of women in the aviation sector. He said that this initiative would especially benefit girls from economically challenged backgrounds, enabling them to realise their dreams of becoming pilots.

Acknowledging the substantial growth in the domestic aviation market, Modi credited initiatives such as the 'Udaan' programme for doubling the number of domestic passengers within a decade. He noted that Indian airlines have placed numerous aircraft orders in response to the rising demand. He said the decade-long transformation in the aviation sector had met the aspirations of the people. He highlighted the government's commitment to enhancing connectivity infrastructure, leading to a significant increase in operational airports from 70 in 2014 to 150 today.

Inaugurating the Khelo India Youth Games in Chennai, Modi said the BJP-led government at the Centre had ended the 'games in sports' alluding to allegations of corruption and irregularities related to sports, during the UPA regime.

Many were surprised about had happened after 2014 and Indian athletes have improved their performance.

India achieved its best performance in Tokyo and paralympics, created history in Asian games and Asian para games.

In the last 10 years, the “government brought reforms, sportspersons performed and the sports scene transformed,” he said.

Never was there any shortage in sporting talent and passion but in the last 10 years they have got new self-confidence, government support in every step, he added.

Asserting that making India a top sporting nation is the nation's aspiration, the PM said big sports events need to be held on a regular basis for that to happen.

Initiative like Khelo India is fulfilling the dreams of youth belonging to poor, Adivasi and lower middle class families. “When we say vocal for local, it includes sporting talent as well. At the local level, we are giving practice and holding tournaments.”

In the last 10 years, many international sporting events were conducted in India for the first time. “You can imagine, we have such big coastline, beaches, but for the first time beach games were held in Diu.” It included the traditional Malkhamb and 8 other sports and 1,600 athletes from the country competed.

“After this a new chapter for beach games and sports tourism started. This is going to benefit coastal cities.” The government is determined to see that young sports persons get international exposure and India becomes the centre of global sports ecosystem.