The tricolour will flutter over the Red Fort as it has done every August 15 since 1947. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will stand at the ramparts for the 11th consecutive year, making him only the third Prime Minister in Indian history after Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi to address the nation so many times from this hallowed stage.
This milestone is more than ceremonial. It marks a decade-long uninterrupted reign, the consolidation of political capital, and the consistent projection of a governance vision that blends economic reform, social transformation, national security, and civilisational renewal. For PM Modi, this address is the continuation of a carefully constructed political tradition using Independence Day not only as a platform for reflection but as a pulpit for announcing new national trajectories.
A decade in the making
2014 – Weeks after taking oath, PM Modi chose humility as his calling card, declaring himself the pradhan sevak chief servant rather than a ruler. But that humility was paired with sweeping ambition. His maiden speech launched the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana for financial inclusion, the blueprint for the Swachh Bharat mission, and a call for gender dignity through separate toilets for girls in every school. These weren’t just policy items they were declarations of intent to dismantle old bureaucratic inertia.
2015 – By his second speech, the PM was already touting the success of Jan Dhan 17 crore accounts opened and promising to electrify 18,500 remaining villages within 1,000 days. In a direct assault on entrenched corruption, he revealed that Rs 6,500 crore in undeclared assets had surfaced under the black money compliance window. The tone was clear: governance would be measured in delivered promises, not postponed targets.
2016 – In a geopolitical masterstroke, PM Modi acknowledged public gratitude from Balochistan, Gilgit, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, internationalising human rights abuses there and subtly shifting the narrative on Kashmir. At home, he announced higher pensions for freedom fighters and government-funded healthcare for BPL families.
2017 – Post-demonetisation, PM Modi pivoted to promoting a cashless economy and announced the confiscation of Benami properties worth Rs 800 crore. He hailed the One Rank, One Pension rollout and highlighted the impact of surgical strikes on India’s military credibility. This was the year PM Modi explicitly positioned his governance as pro-honesty, pro-soldier, and pro-reform.
2018 – Hailing GST as an economic game-changer, PM Modi cited doubled direct taxpayer numbers and unveiled the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyaan the world’s largest health cover scheme for the poor. In a significant gender equality move, he announced permanent commissions for women officers in the Armed Forces.
2019 – In his first speech after re-election, PM Modi declared the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A as fulfilling Sardar Patel’s vision of unity. He defended the outlawing of instant triple talaq as a step towards gender justice in Muslim communities and warned of a looming “population explosion.” His call to end single-use plastics reinforced his environmental agenda.
2020 – The COVID-19 crisis coloured the speech. PM Modi saluted “Corona warriors” and launched the National Digital Health Mission. He promised fibre-optic connectivity to every village and announced a Rs 110 lakh crore National Infrastructure Pipeline to drive recovery.
2021 – PM Modi unveiled the Rs 100 lakh crore Gati Shakti National Master Plan to synchronise infrastructure development. He pledged fortified rice for nutritional security and launched the National Hydrogen Mission to make India a leader in green hydrogen production.
2022 – During the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, PM Modi introduced the Panch Pran five vows for the next 25 years: a developed India, eradicating colonial mindsets, pride in heritage, unity, and civic duty. He promised 75 Vande Bharat trains in 75 weeks and called for Indian products to dominate global markets under the “Zero Defect, Zero Effect” philosophy.
2023 – In his last Independence Day speech of the second term, PM Modi guaranteed India’s rise to the third-largest economy within five years and pledged to make it a fully developed nation by 2047. He celebrated the removal of 13.5 crore people from poverty and reaffirmed his life-long fight against corruption.
The Broader Transformation Narrative
Beyond annual speeches, PM Modi’s decade-long Independence Day messaging has consistently tied into structural reforms and civilisational narratives.
Schemes like Jan Dhan Yojana, MUDRA, Stand-Up India, Atal Pension Yojana, and direct benefit transfers have brought millions into the formal economy. The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code has strengthened banking by cutting NPAs, while a world-class Digital Public Infrastructure has made India a leader in digital payments.
The replacement of colonial-era criminal codes with Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam marks one of the boldest legal overhauls in independent India, prioritising justice delivery over mere punishment. The push for One Nation, One Election signals a bid for governance stability and long-term policy continuity.
Recognising Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Pali, and Prakrit as classical languages expands India’s linguistic pride beyond the southern and Sanskrit traditions. Initiatives like the upcoming Archaeological Experiential Museum at Vadnagar connect governance with heritage preservation.
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