Deogarh (Jharkhand): Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan on Saturday said the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ can become a reality only when all states, districts and villages develop together.
He said Jharkhand could emerge as a powerful centre of inclusive and sustainable development with the right investment in education, healthcare, skills, technology and entrepreneurship.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. It can become a reality only when every state, district and small village develops together. Access to quality healthcare and higher education for tribal communities and rural folk lies at the heart of the mission,” Radhakrishnan said while addressing the second convocation of AIIMS, Deoghar.
He said it is the fundamental right of every citizen to have the best healthcare.
“Over the last decade, the country witnessed an unprecedented expansion of medical education and healthcare infrastructure. New AIIMS and medical colleges have been set up, there has been a rapid increase in MBBS and post-graduate seats, and flagship missions such as Ayushman Bharat brought health insurance to the poorest households,” he said.
Earlier, there was only one AIIMS in the country. Now, the number has increased to 12, and more will come up, the VP said.
“The number of medical colleges has more than doubled from 387 in 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi took charge, to 846 now,” he said.
Radhakrishnan said the number of MBBS seats increased from 5,100 to 1.39 lakh, and the number of post-graduate seats from 31,000 to around 86,000 during the same period.
He urged students to carry their learnings beyond the walls of their institutions to the villages and the most distant corners of the country.
The institute conferred degrees upon 50 MBBS, 94 BSc, 12 MSc and eight Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Master of Surgery (MS) students on the occasion.
Later, the VP visited the Sainya Sampark Mela – Sadaiv Aapke Saath – in Deoghar, organised by the Indian Army in collaboration with the Deoghar district administration to provide welfare services and grievance redressal facilities to ex-servicemen, ‘Veer Naris’ and their dependents across the Santhal Pargana region, an official release said.
Addressing the gathering, Radhakrishnan paid tribute to the veterans and ‘Veer Naris, for their invaluable sacrifices and contributions to the nation.
Describing veterans as an important national resource, he said their experience could guide the youth and their leadership could contribute significantly to nation-building.
Radhakrishnan saluted the ‘Veer Naris’ and said behind every soldier serving at the border stands a family that shares the sacrifices and responsibilities of military service.
He emphasised that the nation could never forget the sacrifices made by soldiers and their families.
He paid tribute to Param Vir Chakra awardee Lance Naik Albert Ekka and recalled the contributions of tribal freedom fighters, including Bhagwan Birsa Munda, Tilka Manjhi, Sidhu and Kanhu, and Nilambar and Pitambar.
He said the spirit of patriotism and national service continued to inspire the people of Jharkhand.
The VP highlighted the fulfilment of the long-standing demand for ‘One Rank, One Pension’ under the leadership of Modi and referred to various welfare initiatives undertaken for veterans and ‘Veer Naris’, the release said.
Appreciating the single-window mechanism at the Mela, he said bringing pension-related assistance, medical facilities, documentation services and grievance redressal under one platform was a meaningful example of last-mile delivery, it added.
