India moving on path of women-led development: PM Modi

Taking special note of International Women's Day (March 8) in his radio broadcast Mann Ki Baat on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that the country is moving forward from the path of women development to women-led development and it's our fundamental duty to ensure their participation in every field of life.

"Today our woman power has shown inner fortitude and self-confidence, has made herself self-reliant. Not only has she advanced herself but has carried forward the country and society to newer heights. After all, our dream of 'New India' is the one where women are strong and empowered and are equal partners in the development of the country," said Modi.

He recalled the words of Swami Vivekananda, who had said the idea of "perfect womanhood was perfect independence".

Remembering Dr CV Raman who said to have discovered the phenomenon of scattering of light on February 28 celebrated as the National Science Day, the PM stressed the importance of the relentless quest for truth.

"...this is the very essence, the real inspiration behind scientific inventions and discoveries. Never rest till every why, what and how are answered," he said.

He also urged the scientists to find how Artificial Intelligence could help make life easier for our divyang (physically-challenged) and help make better predictions of natural disasters?

"Can we use it to provide assistance to farmers on crop yield? Can Artificial Intelligence be used as tool to simplify the outreach of health services and modernize medical treatment?" he said.

PM Modi also referred to the newly-launched Gobar Dhan scheme where rural waste would be converted to clean energy through biogas under the government's Swachch Bharat campaign.

He said the aim of Gobar Dhan — or Galvanising Organic Bio Agro Resources — was to ensure cleanliness in villages and generate wealth and energy by converting cattle dung and solid agricultural waste into compost and biogas.

Pointing out that some European countries and China use animal dung and other bio-waste to produce energy but India lacked full capacity utilisation, PM said a target has now been set to use cattle dung, agricultural waste, kitchen waste to produce biogas-based energy.

Under the scheme, farmers will be encouraged to consider dung and other waste not as waste but as a source of income.

"There will be novel opportunities for newer jobs linked to waste collection, transportation, biogas sales. An online trading platform will be created for better implementation of 'Gobar Dhan Yojana' — it will connect farmers to buyers," said the PM, calling upon self-help groups and cooperatives to take this forward.