Praising the young Indian cricket team’s outstanding victory in Australia and linking it to the country’s fight against COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, the spirit of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ percolates to all spheres of life in the nation, and is now a part of people’s ‘everyday life’.

Speaking at the 18th convocation of Tezpur University, Modi said the nation’s ‘determined’ fight against COVID-19 crisis made the slogan of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ not only a part of popular vocubulary but also reflected the nation’s ‘dreams, hopes, and its motivation’.

“This change (of approach and perspective) was also visible on the cricket field when the Indian team lost disastrously but fought back with confidence and determination in the next match to beat a much more experienced Australian team.

“The players turned adversity into opportunity, creating history with their talent and temperament. Their performance is important not only in the history of sports but also gave us three life lessons. The first being trust and self-confidence, then the need for a positive mindset, and finally, the will to explore if there is a possibility of victory and go for it,” he said, PTI reported. 

“We should learn to take risks and overcome fear of failure,” Modi added.

Speaking about India’s fight against the pandemic, the PM noted there was a lot of scepticism about how a populous country like India would deal with such a crisis.

“Our COVID-19 management showed where there is resolve and resilience, resources come naturally. And today the world’s largest vaccination programme is under way in India,” he said.

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The prime minister added that despite the initial challenges, the country fought against the novel coronavirus with ‘Made in India’ solutions. Such solutions minimised the impact of the virus, improved health infrastructure and enabled the manufacturing of two life-saving vaccines that ‘will provide a shield against the disease to its people and those across the world’.

“Today, India does not hesitate in facing challenges.

We launched the world’s biggest schemes for financial inclusion, for building toilets, providing houses to the poor, safe drinking water. Now the world’s largest vaccination drive is also taking place in India,” he noted.

In his address, he also urged the student community to ‘innovate and bring about change’ as new technology has opened up fresh possibilities in every sector. 

“The country is about to enter the 75th year of its Independence for which many sacrificed their lives. It’s now your turn to build the future of those who will be students like you in the next 25 years when the nation enters its 100th year of Independence,” he said.

The New Education Policy is a step in that direction, the PM added, underlining the need for more effective use of technology and the importance of multi-disciplinary education.

“After you complete your formal education, work not only for your own future but also of the state and the nation,” he said.