anirudhsankar/PMIndia-SpeechDataset-2004-2024 huggingface dataset:
PM's speech on the occasion of the book release 'Monuments of Delhi'
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: September 27, 2010 New Delhi

PM's speech on the occasion of the book release 'Monuments of Delhi' "I would like to compliment the Ministry of Culture, the Archaeological Survey of India and the producers of the book 'Monuments of Delhi' for putting together this excellent publication. Delhi is rapidly transforming into a modern metropolis and the skyline is constantly undergoing change. But we should not forget that Delhi is among the most historic cities in the world. The city's history spans many millennia from early historic times up to the present day. Delhi is better known for its adventures in later periods in Indian history, particularly during the Mughal period. But a Minor Rock Edict of the Ashokan period shows that Delhi was located on the trunk route connecting the main cities of Ancient India in the 3rd century BC. This well illustrated work has been aesthetically designed and produced to provide some interesting glimpses of some of the lesser known, as well as the better known edifices, of Delhi. They include the World Heritage sites, as declared by the UNESCO. Many of these remains are often spoken of as collectively constituting the 'Seven Cities'. The book also contains a wealth of information on historical relics, dating back to the Mauryas, the Guptas, the Rajputs, the Sultanate, the Mughal and the Colonial periods. Out of 174 monuments that are maintained by the ASI in Delhi, this book focuses on 46 monuments that are located within the 'core area' of the Commonwealth Games, which cover the heart of the city. It is rightly said that the city of Delhi is a living museum. We have the obligation to preserve, protect, study and document the rich legacy of one of the great cities of the world. This book will be of use not only to the many visitors who we will welcome shortly to Delhi but to its residents as well. The Ministry of Culture is working on top priority to revitalize the Archaelogical Survey of India so that it becomes an institution of excellence that can manage our historical treasures in a professional and truly imaginative manner. I think there should be more efforts such as the publication of 'Monuments of Delhi' that stimulate public interest in our ancient monuments and in the work of the ASI as well. On the occasion of Commonwealth Games, it gives me great pleasure to release the 'Monuments of Delhi' published by the Archaeological Survey of India."
PM lays Foundation Stone for NTPC-BHEL Manufacturing Plant  at Mannavaram, Andhra Pradesh
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: September 1, 2010 Mannavaram

PM lays Foundation Stone for NTPC-BHEL Manufacturing Plant  at Mannavaram, Andhra Pradesh "It is a pleasure for me to participate in this function to lay the foundation stone of the manufacturing plant being set up by NTPC - BHEL Power Projects Limited, a joint venture company of National Thermal Power Corporation and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited. This is indeed a moment of pride for all of us. But it is also an occasion to pay tribute to a very tall leader from Andhra Pradesh - Dr. Y. S. Rajshekhar Reddy. Tomorrow will be the first death anniversary of Rajshekharji. It was his untiring efforts that brought this project to the backward area of Chittoor district. The manufacturing plant being set up here will always remind us of the great love and affection that Rajashekharji had for the people of Andhra Pradesh and this area. It will stand testimony to the concern he felt for the welfare of his people. I also commend the leadership of my Cabinet colleagues Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh, Minister of Heavy Industries and Shri Sushil Kumar Shinde, Minister of Power, and Shri K. Rosaiah, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh in taking this project forward. I congratulate them for the meticulous planning that has gone into the project and the speedy allotment of land for it. The project also exemplies the importance of coordination between the Central Government and the State Governments. Availability of affordable power is of critical importance for our country's development. We must bridge the gap between the supply and demand of power if we are to achieve higher rates of economic growth on a sustained basis. Therefore, we have drawn up an ambitious programme for addition of power generation capacity in the 11th and 12th five year plans. This large addition in our power generation capacity will mean a much larger demand for power equipment. I am happy that our public sector has come forward to take a lead in manufacturing power equipment in our country to help us achieve our targets in the power sector. Our two Navratna Companies - National Thermal Power Corporation and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited have joined hands to form a new company thus bringing together their vast experience and expertise. I am told that an amount of nearly Rs.6000 crore will be invested over a period of five years to fully establish this manufacturing plant. The plant will be able to produce power equipment required for additional capacity of 5000 MW per year by 2014-15. It will provide direct employment to 6000 men and women and indirect employment to another 25000. I also appreciate the vision of state government to have a large industrial hub around this plant. I am sure that this manufacturing plant will go a long way in improving the economic condition of the people of this backward region. I wish it all success. I also wish the people of Andhra Pradesh and Chittoor district prosperity and happiness for the future."
PM releases Commemorative Stamp on Janab Syed Mohammed Ali Shihab Thangal
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: August 2, 2010 New Delhi

PM releases Commemorative Stamp on Janab Syed Mohammed Ali Shihab Thangal "I am very happy to release this stamp in commemoration of the life and work of Janab Syed Mohammed Ali Shihab Thangal on his first death anniversary. Janab Thangal was a great son of Kerala. He was an influential spiritual leader and a widely respected politician, leading the Kerala State Muslim League for more than three decades. As a political leader he contributed to the first successful experiment of coalition politics in India in the form of the Congress - IUML combine. Janab Thangal's genius was versatile. Apart from having a deep knowledge of Arabic Linguistics, he was known for his scholarship of the Sufi traditions, which represent the best of our composite culture. Thangal Saheb personified India's pluralism and commitment to multi-culturalism. Though a great religious leader, Thangal Saheb will long be remembered as the voice of democratic secular principles and a practitioner of secular solidarity. During the difficult period of country-wide communal unrest in 1992, his appeal for peace worked wonders in Kerala. All his life, Thangal Saheb furthered the call of communal amity through his speeches and writings. Thangal Saheb's life and work touched lakhs and lakhs of people. As an educationist, he helped establish and nurtured institutions, often bringing quality education to the most backward parts of Kerala. As a great philanthropist, he contributed immensely to the socio-economic uplift of the poor and the under-privileged. The postage stamp that I have just released is a small token of our love and respect for a towering personality of our times. As we celebrate Janab Thangal Saheb's life and work, as we express our gratitude to a great spiritual and political leader, we would do well to remember that the best way to pay tribute to him would be to uphold the values and principles he lived by. The life and teachings of Thangal Saheb will always serve as a beacon, guiding us in our path and helping us strengthen our glorious traditions of tolerance, pluralism and secularism. With these words, I once again express my heartfelt thanks to the organisers of today's function for giving me this opportunity to pay homage to a great son of Kerala, a great spiritual and political leader of our time."
PM's statement at the Joint Press Conference with his British counterpart
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: July 29, 2010 New Delhi

PM's statement at the Joint Press Conference with his British counterpart It is my great privilege to welcome the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom His Excellency David Cameron on his first visit to India. Prime Minister Cameron has a distinguished political career. He brings with him the finest qualities of leadership and a bold vision for Britain and a better and safer world.  His presence here, so soon after his election victory in May this year, indicates the strength of the bonds that tie India and the United Kingdom.  It also demonstrates the Prime Minister's strong personal commitment to take our partnership to an even higher level of understanding and purpose. Our discussions were wide ranging, warm and extremely productive.  We share the same vision for a renewed and enhanced partnership between our countries. To this end we have agreed on specific initiatives in the areas of economy and trade, science and technology, energy, education, defence, culture and people to people contacts. We have decided to constitute an India-UK CEOs Forum and an India-UK Infrastructure Group.  We will work towards doubling our trade in five years.  Building upon past experience, we have also agreed to launch a new phase of the UK-India Education and Research Initiative.  We will intensify bilateral exchanges at all levels. India and the United Kingdom are natural partners to shape a better world.  If we join hands together, we can make a meaningful contribution to addressing the challenges of poverty and development, reform of global institutions, terrorism and climate change. We also reviewed the regional security situation and developments in Afghanistan.  There was agreement between us that today terrorism constitutes the single biggest threat to the region and to open and pluralistic societies like ours.  We have agreed to further intensify our cooperation in the area of counter-terrorism. Finally, I conveyed to the Prime Minister that the people of India look forward to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi which we hope will further strengthen the spirit of the Commonwealth. With Prime Minister Cameron's visit we have set in place a new momentum to drive our partnership forward.  I have no doubt that this will be good for both our countries, and responds to the wishes and aspiration of both our peoples. Thank you.
PM's opening statement at the Joint Press Conference with Prime Minister Harper of Canada
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: June 27, 2010 Toronto

PM's opening statement at the Joint Press Conference with Prime Minister Harper of Canada Thank you, Prime Minister Harper, for your very warm words of welcome, and for your generous hospitality and friendship. I would also like to congratulate you for your most successful chairmanship of the G 20 Summit. I am extremely satisfied with my bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Harper today. Our discussions have carried forward the momentum that has characterized our relations in the last few years. India fully reciprocates Canada's desire to intensify our bilateral relations in all areas. Prime Minister Harper's visit to India in November 2009 was a major step in this direction. Today, we have added fresh vitality and content to our cooperation. The Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement that we have signed breaks new ground in the history of our cooperation in this sector. It reflects the change in international realities and will open new doors for mutually beneficial cooperation in nuclear energy. We have identified renewable energy, clean technologies and energy efficiency as other priority areas of cooperation. The newly constituted Canada-India Energy Forum has already begun its work and has our full support. We have also decided to focus on mining and agriculture as the other priority areas of cooperation. We have reaffirmed our resolve to achieve the annual bilateral trade target of 15 billion dollars within the next five years, and to encourage two-way flow of investments. The submission of the report of the Joint Study Group to study the feasibility of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement marks an important step in bringing our two economies closer together. We have directed our officials to examine the report and expedite the next steps. The strong people to people links between our countries are a unique asset for both of us. We have agreed to intensify exchanges in the fields of higher education, culture, science and technology and innovation, so that together we can build the knowledge economy of the future. My visit to Canada coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Kanishka air crash. This terrible disaster and the suffering it has led to will forever remain a stark reminder of the need for all of us to work unitedly to eliminate the scourge of terrorism. The victims of this tragedy deserve full justice. I am convinced that a strong India-Canada partnership will facilitate solutions to global challenges such as energy and food security, sustainable development, climate change and the fight against extremism and poverty. Towards this end, we have agreed to promote and maintain a high level dialogue between India and Canada. I reaffirm India's commitment to strengthening this very important and key relationship. Thank you.
PM's opening remarks at the meeting of the Council on Climate Change
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: May 28, 2010 New Delhi

PM's opening remarks at the meeting of the Council on Climate Change I am happy that we are today considering the National Water Mission and the National Mission on Sustainable Habitat. Both these Missions are extremely critical to addressing the issues of mitigation and adaptation to climate change. As far as the Water Mission is concerned, it goes without saying that water would be a very major area of stress in our country in the decades to come. We need to create a generation conscious of the need to use this life-supporting resource in the most sustainable manner. Water has multiple uses and, therefore, its management is often fragmented. I am happy to see that the Mission document is focusing on creating an integrated perspective. The first step in this direction is a comprehensive water data base in the public domain and assessment of the impact of climate change on our water resource. We need to promote citizen and state action for water conservation, augmentation and preservation. We need to focus attention on vulnerable areas especially the areas where ground water is over exploited. We also need to promote water use efficiency, all of which call for basin level integrated water resource management. As far as the Mission on Sustainable Habitat is concerned, there are clear areas of action that we need to focus on. The most important is the creation of "green standards" relating to making habitats sustainable and having the Municipal Law amended to make them enforceable. The second major area would be the promotion of public transport in our major cities for which we made a beginning through the stimulus package. We need to reorient city development plans to make them facilitative of sustainable habitats. We need to focus on waste recycling and new technologies that create energy from waste. There will also be a set of complementary actions in the areas of capacity building including changes in the curriculum to create green engineering professionals.  I think that some of the institutional arrangements proposed to be set up at the Central, State and District levels require some discussion. There is inadequate or no political representation in these bodies. For the Mission to succeed at the ground level, strong political support is required and peoples' representative should be co-opted into the process of planning, implementing and monitoring the Mission activities. It is a time that we address these tasks with the urgency they deserve and I am sure that through the deliberations of this Council we can now finalise the two Missions and begin to implement them. I look forward to your comments on the presentations.
PM's statement on the eve of his departure for Bhutan
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: April 27, 2010 New Delhi

PM's statement on the eve of his departure for Bhutan I will be leaving tomorrow for Bhutan to attend the 16th SAARC Summit being hosted by Bhutan. This Summit has special significance as it takes place on the twenty fifth anniversary of SAARC. This is also the first time that Bhutan will be hosting a SAARC Summit. The establishment of SAARC in 1985 was a visionary step for the South Asian region. During this period the region has witnessed major transformation, and the idea of regional economic cooperation has taken firm roots. We have established a robust institutional framework for cooperation in diverse areas such as food security, poverty alleviation, terrorism, communication links, trade and economic, and a range of social issues impacting lives of our people. The South Asian Free Trade Agreement, the SAARC Development Fund and the South Asian University are some concrete examples of regional projects that will enable greater economic inter-linkages, and promote people to people contacts within the region. The Summit will provide the countries of this region an opportunity to collectively reflect on where we are, what more we can do together to meet the developmental aspirations of our people, and how South Asia can play its rightful role in the international arena. The winds of change are blowing across the world. South Asia cannot be immune to the trend of greater integration, both at the regional and global levels. If we as South Asians work together, there is nothing that we will not be able to achieve. India will play its part in the resurgence of South Asia. The theme of this year's Summit is "Climate Change". I look forward to discussing regional cooperation and strategies for tackling the effects of global warming in our region. Ours is a particularly vulnerable region, which demands a coordinated and well thought out response cutting across sectors. We all stand to benefit by learning from each other's experiences and strengths. India enjoys close relations with Bhutan which are based on complete mutual trust and understanding. I look forward to holding bilateral discussions with the Prime Minister of Bhutan H.E. Jigmi Y. Thinley to build upon these solid foundations. I also look forward to my meetings with leaders of other SAARC countries.
PM's statement to the media at the joint press meet with President Hamid Karzai
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: April 26, 2010 New Delhi

PM's statement to the media at the joint press meet with President Hamid Karzai It is an honour for me to welcome His Excellency President Hamid Karzai to India on his first visit to India after his re-election as President. I have had extremely productive discussions with President Karzai. We discussed a broad range of bilateral and regional issues of mutual  interest. We exchanged views on  regional cooperation in the context of forthcoming SAARC Summit and our common vision of freer and more unfettered regional trade and transit. Greater  economic integration has the potential of transforming our region. India and Afghanistan enjoy a strategic partnership based on unique historical and civilizational bonds and shared goals.  I conveyed to President Karzai our deep admiration for his courageous leadership in difficult times, and our support to  the Government and people of Afghanistan as they build a strong, peaceful, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan. India believes that this process should be led and owned by the Afghan people. We reviewed the development partnership between our two countries. India remains committed to assisting the Government and people of Afghanistan in their efforts towards the reconstruction and development of their country.  I conveyed to the President that India is ready to augment its assistance for capacity building and for skill and human resources development to help strengthen public institutions in Afghanistan. We discussed the issue of terrorism, which threatens our region.  President Karzai assured me that the Government of Afghanistan will take all possible measures for the security of Indians in Afghanistan. We were of the view that the attacks of February 26, 2010 in Kabul were the handiwork of those who do not wish to see the emergence of a strong, independent and pluralistic Afghanistan.  I conveyed to President Karzai that the perpetrators of such attacks will not succeed in undermining India's commitment to assist the Afghan people. I look forward to continuing to work together with President Karzai for further enhancing our close cooperation. This is in the interest of our two peoples and peace and stability in the region and beyond. Thank you.
PM's opening remarks for the Media Interaction following the BRIC Summit
Speaker: Dr.Manmohan Singh
Date: April 15, 2010 Brasilia

PM's opening remarks for the Media Interaction following the BRIC Summit I would like to join President Hu Jintao and President Medvedev in thanking President Lula for the excellent arrangements made for the second BRIC Summit. I also take this opportunity to extend, on behalf of the people and Government of India, our deepest condolence on the devastating earthquake in China. I also offer our deepest sympathies to the victims of the recent mudslides in Brazil. We have had a very successful Summit under President Lula's leadership. This is the second stand-alone Summit of the BRIC countries in less than a year. Our countries have gathered here today because we stand to gain from cooperation with each other, and because we believe that greater cooperation among us is also good for the world. The BRIC grouping was not borne out of a crisis. It was an act of long term faith in our people and in our economies. However, the global economic and financial crisis has created a new relevance for BRIC. Sustaining global economic recovery and making it inclusive would be the major challenges before us in the near term. With their internal economic strengths, BRIC countries have the potential to play a constructive role in contributing to world economic growth and prosperity. We are all part of the G20 process. We have also had useful discussions on other issues of common interest. These include climate change, sustainable development, food security, energy security and reform of international financial institutions and of the United Nations. We support a multipolar, equitable, democratic and just world order with the United Nations playing a central role in tackling global challenges. I once again thank President Lula for hosting this Summit and the leadership he has consistently given to the BRIC process.