‘New India’ that can set difficult targets, achieve them: PM on 100 cr doses landmark

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that India’s success in administering over 100 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses in nine months has given a befitting reply to those who questioned its capabilities, and asserted that this highlights a “new India” which can set difficult targets and achieve them.

In his address to the nation a day after India crossed the landmark, Modi dwelt at length about its significance and also projected a picture of optimism and hope about India’s growth after a spell of pandemic-induced setback, saying experts and world agencies are very positive about its economy.

Indian companies and start-ups are receiving record investment and generating employment, he said. Often attacked by opposition parties and critics for his government’s handling of the pandemic, Modi got back at them and asserted that the administration of 100 crore doses is a new chapter in history and reflects India’s capabilities.

Some people had asked how the ‘taali-thaali’ initiative and the lighting of ‘diyas’ at the start of the pandemic would help eradicate the virus, he noted and said that these measures were a reflection of people’s participation and unity. India’s vaccination programme is a most robust example of “sabka saath, sabka vishwas aur sabka prayas”, he added.