India undergoing era of transformation: Union minister Shekhawat

Washington, Feb 27 (PTI) India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is undergoing “an era of transformation” to make it a developed nation by 2047, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has said, urging the Indian diaspora to be a part of this “once in a lifetime” change.

Shekhawat, the Union water resources minister, made the comments on Sunday during an interaction with the Indian-American community leaders organised at the Indian Embassy.

“We are undergoing an era of transformation,” Shekhawat said.

Describing the transformation that India is experiencing as “once in a lifetime, or a once in centuries opportunity,” Shekhawat stressed that the diaspora, as brand ambassadors of the country, have a vital role in the change.

As a result of the steps being taken under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India today is a “launching pad” for fast-track development and is all set to achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047, he said.

“There is no platform in the world today where India can be ignored,” Shekhawat added.

India’s role at the global level has risen significantly, and the world looks at it on several issues, Shekhawat said in his remarks in Hindi.

He added that the worldview of India, today, has changed.

Shekhawat said that at the same time, the government consistently worked to resolve and address the issues of the common man.

Urging Indian-Americans to be a part of this transformation process, Shekhawat said, “Whatever area we have chosen for ourselves in life and wherever we work, it should be our pledge that during this phase of the transformation of our country, we also have our responsibilities.”

Indian-American and former American Association of Physicians of Indian origin (AAPI) president Dr Vinod K Shah said that he had never witnessed the stature of India as it is today during his decades of living in the US.

“I really wanted to express my gratitude to you and Prime Minister Modi for bringing India to the level it is today,” he said.

Suresh Chenoy from the WHEELS Global Foundation expressed concerns over the FCRA (Foreign Contribution [Regulation] Act) regulations in India, which he said, have impacted the work of non-profit organisations in India.

Shekhawat, in response, assured that the government is well aware of the issues and expressed confidence that these issues and concerns would be resolved in due course.

The minister said that an internal governmental investigation found that more than 20,000 Indian NGOs, taking money from overseas, were involved in anti-India activities. The Indian government thus tightened the rules and regulations, in which some genuine NGOs were also impacted, he said, adding that the government was well aware of this.