Join hands in achieving ‘Swarnandhra’, exhorts IT Minister Lokesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the nation on the 80th Independence Day, exhorted Indians to dream big to achieve the goal of a developed India by 2047, saying the world will be forced to look at the country differently as “we work towards achieving this dream”. After arriving at the Red Fort and receiving the Guard of Honour, PM Modi unfurled the Tricolour, paying rich tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and freedom fighters while remembering their sacrifices.Independence Day LIVEAn Army band played the tune of ‘Vande Mataram’ as the guests present on the occasion sang the national song. This was followed by the Prime Minister hoisting the national flag, and then the National Anthem was recited. Flower petals were showered at the venue by two Mi-17 helicopters of the Indian Air Force — one trooping the national flag and the other carrying a flag depicting ‘Vande Mataram’.Independence Day: The Hindu newspaper from August 15, 1947Nearly 5,000 special guests from different walks of life have been invited to witness the celebrations at Red Fort this year. A large number of people from various States and Union Territories, dressed in traditional Indian attire, were also invited to witness the grand ceremony.Here are some pictures of the Independence Day celebrations across India:Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma PM Modi inspects the Guard of Honour at the Red Fort during the 80th Independence Day celebration, in New Delhi on August 15, 2026. Photo: PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi hoists the National Flag at the Red Fort on the 80th Independence Day. Two IAF Mi-17 helicopters conducted a flower-petal shower over the venue. Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the nation on the 80th Independence Day, said sectors that were once seen as "no-go" areas are now "go-ahead" areas.Photo: PTI India is going to host 2030 CWG; we want to host 2036 Olympics, Mr. Modi said. Before the 2036 Olympics, we need to expand into sporting disciplines in which we never used to qualify earlier, he added.Photo: PTI "Coaching classes burden on poor, middle class; we will provide free online coaching for various exams," Prime Minister Modi said in his I-Day speech.Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with the youth gathered at the Red Fort. Mr. Modi, In his 13th consecutive Independence Day address to the nation, assured the youth of resources and support, as he highlighted the growth of India's startup ecosystem and the government's ₹1 lakh crore Innovation Fund to support ideas and capabilities.Photo: PTI For the first time, the National Song Vande Mataram was rendered during Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort on August 15, 2026.Photo: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hoists the tricolour flag at the AICC HQ, Indira Bhawan, in New Delhi. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and former president of the AICC Sonia Gandhi are also seen.Photo: Emmanual Yogini A young child sprints through Mumbai with the Tricolour held high, radiating pure joy during the Independence Day celebrations.Photo: PTI Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on August 15, 2026, assured cooperation to the Union government on administrative matters and asserted that, however, his government will always oppose policies going against the State's rights.Photo: Nirmal Harindran Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan hoisted the national flag at the Independence Day celebrations held at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. Mr. Satheesan reviewed the various platoons and received the salute from marching contingents of the police, NCC, NSS, Bharat Scouts and Guides and Student Police Cadets.Photo: E. Lakshmi Narayanan Students perform a vibrant cultural programme during the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Mahatma Gandhi Stadium in Salem, Tamil Nadu.Photo: G.N. Rao Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu addresses the gathering after hoi

Karnataka’s Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar during the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Field Sam Marshal Manekshaw Parade Ground in Bengaluru on August 15, 2026. Karnataka will focus on creating one lakh new jobs, expanding artificial intelligence (AI) education, and establishing technology hubs across the State as part of its vision for a ‘Young Karnataka–New India’, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on August 15.Addressing the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Manekshaw Parade Ground in Bengaluru, Mr Shivakumar announced the launch of the Chief Minister Udyoga Sankalpa and Udyoga Nidhi schemes, aimed at improving employment opportunities and encouraging job creation.The State Government has begun the process of filling 72,000 key vacancies, with notifications for all the posts expected to be issued within the next six months, he said.Under Udyoga Nidhi, entrepreneurs in 10 economically backward districts will receive an incentive of ₹2,500 per month for every new job created, with the government targeting one lakh additional jobs through the initiative.AI from class 6 in govt schoolsThe Chief Minister outlined an ambitious technology and education agenda. AI will be introduced in government schools from class 6, alongside the proposed AI Akshara Abhiyana and Coding Gurukula programmes. Bengaluru will get the country’s first government-owned AI university, while AI hubs will be established to strengthen the State’s technology ecosystem.Under the ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ initiative, five global technology centres are proposed in Kalaburagi, Belagavi, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mangaluru and Mysuru. An Advanced Manufacturing Cluster is being established in Doddaballapura, with investment commitments of ₹20,000 crore and an expected employment potential of around one lakh jobs.Mr. Shivakumar said, “Karnataka is targeting a $3 trillion economy, equivalent to ₹320 lakh crore, by 2047. The State’s per capita income had reached ₹4.33 lakh, and Karnataka ranked second in GST and income-tax collections.”Calling on people of Karnataka to participate in the State’s development, Mr. Shivakumar said, “Two hands alone are not enough to pull the chariot of the State’s development. The hands of every Kannadiga must join mine. Let us come together and pull the chariot of development.”The government plans to integrate technology into agriculture through the Chief Minister Raitha Chaitanya scheme, under which drones and satellite imagery will be used for crop surveys. The Raitha Mitra scheme will provide farmers owning three acres or less with a 50% subsidy on agricultural machinery rental charges.On infrastructure, Mr. Shivakumar said, “1,663 km of State Highways, 3,000 km of major district roads, and 125 bridges had been constructed over the past year. Development of 7,100 km of rural roads is under way under the Pragathi Patha scheme with an investment of ₹5,200 crore.”For Bengaluru, infrastructure projects worth ₹1.50 lakh crore have been taken up. The Namma Metro network is expected to expand to 220 km after completion of Phase III, while a 117-km ring road under the Bengaluru Business Corridor is planned at a cost of ₹26,000 crore.According to the Chief Minister, the government has prioritised water security, with 112 major water-resource projects worth ₹16,000 crore approved this year. The first phase of the Yettinahole Integrated Drinking Water Project is nearing completion, with water expected to reach Tumakuru district by November.Mr. Shivakumar announced plans to establish the Karnataka State Motor Vehicle Insurance Corporation to provide simpler insurance services to vehicle owners.Highlighting the government’s welfare measures, he said that ₹77,000 crore had so far been transferred directly to 1.28 crore women under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, while 1.65 crore households were receiving free electricity under Gruha Jyothi. Women in Karnataka had made around 796 crore free journeys under the Shakti scheme. Published - August 15, 2026 02:4

M.B. Patil, Minister for Large & Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development in Karnataka. | Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan's patriotism is unquestionable. The BJP is needlessly politicising his absence at the Independence Day celebrations in Vijayanagar district,” M.B. Patil said in Vijayapura on August 15. Mr. Patil is the Minister for Large & Medium Industries and Infrastructure Development in Karnataka.“Mr. Khan is a patriot. He had announced his willingness to join the armed forces, if necessary. BJP should not make baseless allegations against him. He has written a letter to the CM declining the post of district-in-charge minister. We should respect his decision. BJP leaders, who are going around saying his absence shows that he is anti-national, are needlessly politicising the issue.“Studies have shown that no leader of the BJP or the Sangh Parivar had participated in the freedom struggle. Those leaders who are shouting slogans of Har Ghar Tiranga had refused to hoist the national flag in the RSS headquarters in Nagpur for several decades after independence. There is no need to learn patriotism from such people," Mr Patil told reporters. Published - August 15, 2026 02:19 pm IST