Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the media is not just a mute witness of conditions in the country; media people can play an important role in changing the conditions, and therefore will have a big role in making India developed in the next 25 years.

He was speaking after inaugurating INS Towers, the Indian Newspaper Society Secretariat, in Mumbai. Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar and INS president Rakesh Sharma were present.

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The Prime Minister said the media has an important role in creating discourse in the country and making people aware of their duties, and get involved with national campaigns for their benefits to the country.

India at present is passing through such a time-span when its journey in the next 25 years will be important, he said. “In these 25 years, if India is to become developed, the role of newspapers and journals will be big,” he said.

“Media keeps people aware, and makes them know their rights and tells them about their capacity. If people in a country get confidence about their capacity, they climb new heights of success. This is what is happening in India today,” he said.

Giving an example, he said, there was a time when leaders used to say digital transactions are not possible for Indians. They said things of modern technology will be difficult to adopt for Indians. But the whole world is today watching Indians’ adaptability and capacity.

“Today India is breaking records in digital transactions; India’s UPI has increased ease of living and made financial transfers easy. Indians living in the Gulf are sending remittances and at much cheaper expense. The digital revolution is responsible for this,” he said.

The Prime Minister said people in major countries want to learn from India about its digital technology and implementation model. “This big success is not just of the government, the media has an equal role in this and media deserves congratulations for that,” Mr Modi said.

The Prime Minister said the media has a natural role in creating discourse, focusing on serious issues. The governments at one time took decisions keeping in view electoral gains or losses while making policies.

“Our government has changed this thinking. Decades back, banks were nationalised, but the reality after that was till 2014, there were 40-50 crore poor in the country who did not have bank accounts,” he said.

There was a difference between what was said at the time of the nationalization and in what was the scene in 2014. Half the country was outside the banking system, he said. “Was this ever made an issue,” Mr Modi said.

His government took up the Jan Dhan Yojana as a movement and brought 50 crore within the banking system. This helped in digital India and the movement against corruption.

The Swatchchta Abhiyaan, Start-Up India and Stand-Up India were also nowhere linked with vote bank politics, but in the changing India, the nation’s media made them part of the national discourse, and brought words like start-ups to the knowledge of all homes in the country, the Prime Minister said.

He said if a government starts a programme, it does not mean it is only a government programme only. The government starts a programme and it is adopted by people, like Amrit Mahotsava and har ghar tirangaa campaigns.

“This year we are celebrating 75 years of the Constitution, the citizens’ commitment towards duties can be strengthened, they can be made aware of them,” he said. Similarly, newspapers can focus on tourism in different States, one by one, and it will help. Tourism does not increase by government steps only.

“It will increase attraction for States, this will boost tourism. We have to increase global presence, we have to increase our media’s presence in the world; we will soon be the third largest economy in the world, you can play a role; the nation’s image abroad helps,” the Prime Minister told the media. He said respect for Indians abroad has gone up. India is playing a role. If the media works for that, India will benefit,” he said.

India is a country of 140 crore people. “You should have newspapers in all UN languages, micro sites and social media accounts also. AI has come to help now. You have digital editions also; there are no space or distribution constraints there; this will strengthen our democratic system,” he said.