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RIO DE JANEIRO — Less than 24 hours after he asserted in Nigeria’s Abuja that stepping out of the comfort zone, innovating and creating new paths has now become the very essence of today’s India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday told the gathering of world’s most influential leaders converged in Rio de Janeiro for the G20 Summit that the main reason for India’s success lies in his government’s ‘back to basics’ and ‘march to the future’ approach.
Addressing the G20 session on ‘Social Inclusion and the Fight Against Hunger and Poverty’ at the bayside museum of modern art during the two-day 19th G20 Summit, Prime Minister Modi emphasised that the “people centric decisions” taken at the G20 Summit in New Delhi last year have been taken forward during Brazil’s Presidency.
“It is a matter of great satisfaction that we prioritised SDG goals. We focused on Inclusive development, women led development, and youth power. And gave wings to the hopes and aspirations of the Global South. It is clear that One Earth One Family One Future, is as relevant at this summit as it was last year,” said PM Modi in his remarks at the session.
Sharing “India’s experiences and success stories”, PM Modi spotlighted that India has lifted 250 million people out of poverty over the last 10 years.
“Over 800 million people are being given food grains free of cost. 550 million people are benefiting from the world’s biggest health insurance scheme. Now, 60 million senior citizens, over the age of 70, will also be able to benefit from free health insurance. Maintaining our focus on Women led development and social inclusion, over 300 million women micro entrepreneurs have been linked to banks and given access to credit.
“Under the world’s largest crop insurance scheme, over 40 million farmers have received benefits worth 20 billion US dollars. Under the farmers scheme, assistance worth over 40 billion dollars has been given to 110 million farmers. Institutional credit worth 300 billion US dollars is being given to farmers,” he added.
PM Modi remarked that India is not only ensuring food security but also focusing on nutrition.
“The Saksham Anganwadi and Nutrition 2.0 campaign which is an Integrated Nutrition Support Programme, focuses in particular on nutrition for pregnant women, newborn babies, children under the age of six, and adolescent girls. Through the Mid Day Meal scheme special attention is being paid to the nutritional needs of school going children,” he maintained.
PM Modi told the gathering of world leaders that India is also contributing to global food security.
“We have provided humanitarian assistance to Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, recently. The main reason for our success is our approach: ‘back to basics’ and ‘march to the future’. We have focused not only on natural farming and organic farming but also on new technologies. We have focused on sustainable agriculture, protection of the environment, nutrition and food security by promoting Sri Ann or millets,” the Prime Minister stated.
He detailed that India has developed over 2000 climate resilient crop varieties and also started the ‘Digital Agriculture Mission’ while at the same time the digital public Infrastructure-enabled social and financial inclusion.
“With the Aspirational Districts and Blocks project we created a new model for inclusive development that strengthens the weakest link,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi insisted that India supports Brazil’s initiative for a ‘Global Alliance against hunger and poverty’ as it is an important step towards the implementation of the Deccan High level principles for food security, adopted at the New Delhi Summit.
Batting once again for the developing countries at a global forum, PM Modi said that countries of the Global south are most adversely impacted by the food, fuel and fertilizer crisis caused by global conflicts.
“So our discussions can only be successful when we keep in mind the challenges and priorities of the Global south. And just as we amplified the voice of the Global south by granting permanent membership of G20 to the African Union during the New Delhi Summit, we will reform institutions of global governance,” he stated.
Besides the leaders of the 19 member countries and the European Union, the Summit is witnessing participation of the African Union for the first time after getting inducted as a full member of the grouping during the New Delhi G20 Summit, last year.
Brazil has also invited 18 guest countries, five each from Africa, Latin America and Asia; and three countries from Europe. There are also 15 international organisations that are attending the Rio Summit.