'This is Team India,' Says PM Modi on Independence Day

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'This is Team India,' Says PM Modi on Independence Day
Cheat Sheet | Edited by Raija Susan Panicker | Updated: August 15, 2015 09:22 IST
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PM Modi is addressing his second Independence Day speech from the Red Fort.

"This is Team India, a team of 125 crore Indians. This is the team that takes our nation to new heights," said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is his address on India's 69th Independence Day from the historic Red Fort in Delhi early this morning.
Here are the 10 latest developments:

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged today that he is yet to reach a resolution on the One rank One pension demand of ex-serviceman, but promised that his government had "accepted OROP in principle."
2. "This is not an ordinary morning. This is a morning of hope of the dreams and aspirations of 125 crore Indians," the PM, wearing an orange safa or turban, said as he began his speech, his second Independence Day address since he took office in May last year.
3. PM Modi wove his theme of Team India through rhetoric and report cards as he detailed progress on flagship initiatives he had announced from this venue last year.
4. "There are now 17 crore accounts - the poor have deposited 20,000 crore in bank accounts," PM Modi said in his report card on the Jan Dhan Yojna or bank accounts for all.
5. "I had raised eyebrows by talking about toilets at the Red Fort...I thank team India for making 4.25 lakh toilets," the PM said.
6. He stressed on people participation. "Be it MyGov, letters from citizens, Mann Ki Baat, communication with people...the participation of people is increasing," PM Modi said.
7. There is unprecedented security at the venue with security forces saying that the "threat perception" is three times than in other years. 40,000 personnel of the Delhi Police have been deployed for security in the capital, which is on high alert.
8. This year, the PM's address was expected to include goals that have been crowd-sourced. Suggestions delivered through MyGov.in, a receptacle for public comments, has included a mission to make India free of plastic bags and a comprehensive health insurance scheme for the poor.
9. Like last year, the PM did not speak from behind the bullet proof screen that his predecessors used at the Red Fort.
10. Instead, over 150 National Security Guard (NSG) commandos along with a SWAT unit and paramilitary forces are positioned in a 200-metre radius from where PM Modi is making his address. There are 1400 CCTV cameras in and around the Red Fort, 265 of them around the area where the Prime Minister is speaking from