“The first time voters of today will be the Century youth of 2047 when India celebrates 100 years of its Independence,” said Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Thursday.

The Minister was holding an interaction with first time voters, mostly Class 12 and 1st year College students in Udhampur during the “Nav Matdata Sammelan” organised by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) to mark the National Voters’ Day.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Nav Matdata Sammelan virtually.

Dr Jitendra Singh said before 2014, there was an atmosphere of pessimism across the country. The common citizen had lost faith in the establishment. Since the youth had lost all hope for their future, he said, the youth looked for opportunities outside the country in a world that had a poor opinion about India.

All that has changed after the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the national stage, the minister said, adding it was all due to the painstaking and consistent efforts made in the last ten years under Modi. He expressed happiness that today, India is held in high esteem at the global stage and her youth command a very high stature for their merit. They are well placed in most of the international bodies, and India is looked up to as one of the frontline nations of the world, the Union minister contended.

He said Prime Minister Modi has emerged as world’s tallest leader.

Dr Jitendra Singh informed that India has risen to become the fifth largest economy, from the 10th position; the country has overtaken the United Kingdom. This year, India is poised to become the fourth largest economy in the world.

The minister said the fast-paced growth rate is reflected in India’s achievements in the space sector. Chandrayaan Mission and indigenously developed vaccine against Coronavirus are among the country’s notable success stories.

Interacting with a large crowd of first-time voters,  Dr Jitendra Singh said this is one of the best times happening for the youth. Therefore, they should make the best use of opportunities available. With the state-of-the-art technology available, the youth should leverage it as they should feel a sense of pride having been declared the architects of India in 2027, the Minister urged the gathering.