Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday stressed on the development of villages to achieve the goal of making India a “five trillion dollar economy,” a target set by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also said that development of villages is essential for the overall development of the country as the majority of Indians live in villages.
Addressing the 41st convocation ceremony of the Institute of Rural Management (IRMA) in Gujarat, Mr. Shah said that he is of “the firm belief that development of the country is not possible without the development of its villages.”
The premier institute, imparting rural management education, was set up by Dr. Varghese Kurien, Father of the White Revolution in India. Over 250 students received their management degrees in rural management during the ceremony on Sunday.
“Mahatma Gandhi had said the soul of the country is in our villages and I firmly believe that,” the Union minister said, invoking Mahatma Gandhi, who strongly believed that rural development was essential for India’s progress.
“If villages are prosperous, self-reliant and with good facilities, the country will be prosperous. It will help achieve the dream of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and making India a five trillion dollar economy,” the Union Home and Cooperation Minister said in his address.
The Minister also lauded the students, who had opted for rural management education in the country.
“You will help in achieving the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi. You can work for your personal development, but you will also have to take an oath today when you are passing out that you will also work for the development of our rural areas,” the Union minister said.
Cooperation Ministry and rural development
During his speech, he listed the works of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government for rural development in the last eight years.
He added that the Modi government has given a special impetus for rural development in setting up a cooperation ministry at the national level to work to encourage the cooperative sector in the country.
The Union Minister is on a three-day visit to his home State Gujarat. On Saturday, he was in Diu to attend the eastern region council meeting.
In Diu, Mr. Shah also inaugurated the Khukri Memorial museum at the decommissioned warship INS Khukri, set up by the Union Territory administration.
On Sunday, besides attending the convocation ceremony in Anand, he also dedicated development works and launched new projects in his parliamentary constituency Gandhinagar.
