JUNE 22: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh has hailed the past 11 years under Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a transformative era for India, especially in the civil services, governance, and science sectors. In an exclusive interview with Doordarshan, Dr. Singh described the period as marked by the democratisation of youth aspirations, citing how toppers in prestigious exams like the Civil Services now hail from regions once underrepresented, such as Punjab, Haryana, and Jammu & Kashmir.
Highlighting real-life examples like Parsanjit Kour from Poonch (AIR 11, CSE 2022) and Anmol Sher Singh Bedi from Punjab (AIR 2, CSE 2016), Dr. Singh said that the system has become more inclusive and merit-based, instilling confidence in families across socio-economic backgrounds.
Dr. Singh credited PM Modi for revitalizing dreams that had been ignored for decades. He noted key infrastructure developments, including the integration of Jammu & Kashmir and the Northeast into India’s railway network, fulfilled under PM Modi’s leadership. The commissioning of Vande Bharat trains in these areas reflects a commitment to inclusive growth.
The Minister also stressed that not a single corruption charge has emerged against any Union Minister in the last 11 years—an unprecedented record in India’s governance history. He added that the Modi government has ended the era of vote bank politics and promoted universal welfare through 100% saturation of schemes, such as the PM Awas Yojana.
In science and innovation, Dr. Singh highlighted the exponential growth of India’s biotech startup ecosystem—from just 50 in 2014 to over 10,000 in 2024. He also announced that Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will serve as Mission Pilot on the Axiom-4 space mission, performing experiments with Indian biotech tools.
Further, he confirmed progress toward India’s own Bharat Antariksh Station by 2035 and praised India’s growing stature as a global science leader.
On governance, reforms like CPGRAMS, with a 96% grievance disposal rate, and Digital Life Certificate (DLC) for pensioners were cited as models of citizen-centric innovation.
Touching on Lithium reserves in J&K, Dr. Singh called them a game-changer and affirmed that the youth of India, particularly in J&K, will be key drivers of Viksit Bharat 2047.
