Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign during his address at the Republic Day celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.
“The Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign announced during the pandemic, rekindled the spark of creativity and innovation, taking the Gandhian concept of Gram Swaraj to the next level,” Khan said in the presence of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
He also mentioned the production of the two Covid-19 vaccines is a reflection of the spirit of self-reliance. “The two vaccines developed by Indian scientists and doctors in record time to fight Covid-19 will remain an epic stride in the history of Indian science and symbolizes the Indian spirit of self-reliance or Atmanirbharta,” the Governor said.
The Governor expressed gratitude to the healthcare workers, frontline workers, doctors and scientists for their hard work and dedication to contain the Covid-19 situation. He also credited Kerala for upgrading the healthcare facilities and keeping the mortality rate to the lowest in the country.
“We made sure that no patient was left unattended and focussed on upgrading over 400 primary health centres to family health centres. The State has also provided expertise in setting up Corona hospitals in other states,” he said.
The Governor also appreciated the achievements of Kerala in the field of education. “I am happy that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has succeeded in making Kerala the first State in the country to digitalize the education sector. We have been ranked first in the National Education index of Niti Aayog,” Khan said.
The Governor also paid rich tribute to the Indian armed forces. “As a nation, we take immense pride in our armed forces which is amongst the strongest in the world. Their eternal vigil and restraint instil in us a great sense of security,” Khan said, adding that the latest technological acquisitions made by the armed forces have made India proud.
