By Navneet Mishra

New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS): Speaking on the occasion of Independence Day from the ramparts of the Red Fort here, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made 10 major announcements on Saturday. He announced the launch of the National Digital Health Mission scheme, which gives health cards to every Indian, with immediate effect.

Prime Minister Modi also informed the country of a new Cyber Security Policy. The Prime Minister, while speaking about the much awaited corona vaccine, said that work on not one but three vaccines is going on. The announcements were made by Modi during his one-and-a-half hour speech starting 7 a.m.

National Digital Health Mission: Narendra Modi made the first major announcement regarding the National Digital Health Mission. He said, "Another big campaign is going to start in the country from Saturday which is the National Digital Health Mission. According to the scheme, every Indian will be provided a health card. Every test, every disease, which medicines were prescribed by which doctor, when the medicine was given, what were the reports -- all this information will be contained in this one health card. This scheme will revolutionise India's health sector."

New Cyber Security Policy: Modi said a new National Cyber Security strategy has been prepared in the country. India is alert, cautious and taking decisions to counter the security threats and is constantly developing new systems. The new cyber security policy will be introduced soon.

Corona vaccine: Modi informed the country that not one, not two, but three vaccines for the coronavirus are currently in the testing phase. He said that as soon as the green signal is received from the scientists, the stage is set for mass production of these vaccines in the country.

Expansion of NCC: The Prime Minister announced the expansion of the National Cadet Corps (NCC). He said the expansion of the NCC will be ensured across 173 border and coastal districts of the country. Nearly 1 lakh new NCC cadets will be given special training under this campaign.

Internet connectivity in Lakshadweep: Modi said that in the next 1,000 days, Lakshadweep will also be connected by submarine optical fibre cable, adding, "There are more than 1,300 islands in our country. Work is underway to introduce new development schemes in selected islands, keeping in view their geographical location and their importance in the development of the country."

Optical fibre network in every village: The Prime Minister announced that every village in the country will be connected with optical fibres to provide Internet facility. He said that this goal will be accomplished in the coming 1,000 days.

Before 2014, only 5 dozen panchayats in the country were connected with optical fibres. In the last five years, 1.5 lakh gram panchayats have been connected with optical fibres.

Projects Lion and Dolphin: Prime Minister Modi announced Project Lion and Project Dolphin. He said that India is fully sensitive to the conservation and promotion of its biodiversity. In the recent past, the lion and tiger populations have increased at a rapid pace in the country. Now Project Lion is also going to be launched for Asiatic Lions in the country. Modi also stressed on running projects for the conservation of dolphins.

100 Lakh Crore Expenditure: Modi said that a plan has been prepared to connect the whole country with Multi-model Connectivity Infrastructure. The country is moving towards spending more than Rs 100 lakh crore in this direction. Nearly 7,000 projects in different sectors have been identified. In a way, it will be like a new revolution in infrastructure.

Emphasis on Expansion of Neighbourhood Policy: Prime Minister Modi stressed on strengthening and expanding relations with the neighbouring countries. He said, "With our neighbouring countries, whether they are connected to us via land or from the sea, we are linking our relations with the partnership of security, development and trust. Today, the neighbours are not only those who share our geographical boundaries but also those with whom our hearts meet. Where there is peace in relationships, there is harmony."

Campaign Against Pollution: Modi announced a plan to eradicate pollution from the cities on the occasion of Independence Day. He said that a special campaign with a holistic approach is also being undertaken to reduce pollution in 100 selected cities.