External affairs minister S Jaishankar , while addressing the Indian community in Geneva, Switzerland, spoke on the importance of hard work , taking a 'khata-khat' jibe at leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi 's earlier statement suggesting Congress could quickly solve issues if voted to power.
He said, "Until we develop the human resources , it requires hard work; until you build the infrastructure , until you have those policies, life is not 'khata-khat.' Life is hard work. Life is diligence. Anybody who's held a job and labored at it knows this. That's my message to you—we have to work hard at it."
'Major power needs technology'
The foreign minister, who was on a two-day visit to Geneva, from September 12 to 13, stressed that being a major power requires technology, which in turn necessitates manufacturing .
"There are people who say that we are incapable of it and that we should not even attempt it. So, ask yourself, can you actually be a major power in the world without manufacturing? Because a major power needs technology. Nobody can develop technology without developing manufacturing," Jaishankar said.
He also spoke about India's progress in human resources and the ongoing efforts to enhance it. "In terms of human resources, it's important to recognize our achievements. The intent today is to speed things up, to increase efforts, and to remind ourselves that what we've accomplished is just the beginning. There's no intention of resting on our laurels," he added.
'People ask how we improved our income tax collection '
Jaishankar further noted the global interest in India's developments. "The leader of a major Arab country once told me about the challenges in their food distribution system. He was very interested in how we manage food support for 830 million people with much less leakage than in the past. People also ask how we've improved our income tax collection because every president and prime minister is interested in increasing revenues," he remarked.
He concluded by saying that India's achievements should inspire further progress. "Achievements should not lead to complacency but motivate us to do more. It's not about saying, 'I've done well, so I'm done,' but rather, 'I've done well, and I can do so much more.' If we've achieved this in two terms, imagine how much more we can do in a third," Jaishankar said.
He said, "Until we develop the human resources , it requires hard work; until you build the infrastructure , until you have those policies, life is not 'khata-khat.' Life is hard work. Life is diligence. Anybody who's held a job and labored at it knows this. That's my message to you—we have to work hard at it."
'Major power needs technology'
The foreign minister, who was on a two-day visit to Geneva, from September 12 to 13, stressed that being a major power requires technology, which in turn necessitates manufacturing .
"There are people who say that we are incapable of it and that we should not even attempt it. So, ask yourself, can you actually be a major power in the world without manufacturing? Because a major power needs technology. Nobody can develop technology without developing manufacturing," Jaishankar said.
He also spoke about India's progress in human resources and the ongoing efforts to enhance it. "In terms of human resources, it's important to recognize our achievements. The intent today is to speed things up, to increase efforts, and to remind ourselves that what we've accomplished is just the beginning. There's no intention of resting on our laurels," he added.
'People ask how we improved our income tax collection '
Jaishankar further noted the global interest in India's developments. "The leader of a major Arab country once told me about the challenges in their food distribution system. He was very interested in how we manage food support for 830 million people with much less leakage than in the past. People also ask how we've improved our income tax collection because every president and prime minister is interested in increasing revenues," he remarked.
Delighted to witness a glimpse of Indian culture @IndiaUNGeneva today.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 13, 2024
A nice interaction with Indian community and friends at Geneva today. Spoke about 🇮🇳’s advances in infrastructure, technology, innovation, skilling and greater role in global economy. pic.twitter.com/NIlexWwh7h
He concluded by saying that India's achievements should inspire further progress. "Achievements should not lead to complacency but motivate us to do more. It's not about saying, 'I've done well, so I'm done,' but rather, 'I've done well, and I can do so much more.' If we've achieved this in two terms, imagine how much more we can do in a third," Jaishankar said.
