PM's self-reliance is nothing but self-deception, says Kapil Sibal

Criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's idea of "Self-Reliant" India, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that the idea did not have a clear roadmap as to how this goal should be achieved.

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Kapil Sibal on Friday slammed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's idea of "self-reliant" India by saying that it is just an act of "self-deception" and the government should actually enhance the facility of research and development to make the nation self-sufficient.

"PM on May 12 asked the country to go vocal for local and announced and economic package to make the country self-reliant and termed it as 'Aatmanirbhar Abhiyan'. However it failed to help the poor, farmers, migrant workers, Industries, and the states to become self-reliant," said the Congress leader during a press conference.

He further added, "PM's exhortation to industry to push 'Make in India, Made for the World', expand globally, not be dependent on another country in strategic sector, did not have a clear roadmap as to how this goal should be achieved."

While asserting over the need to invest in research and development sector at the university level, Sibal mentioned that India is spending just 0.7 percent of its GDP for R&D, while in Israel 4.6 percent, in Korea 4.5 percent, in Germany 3 percent, and in France 2.2 percent is being spent from their GDP.

Taking a jibe at the central government, Sibal said, "PM Modi's Aatmanirbhar idea is nearly a slogan like innumerable others. Every week there is a new slogan for diversion. He did not explained about his economic policy, industrial policy or even manufacturing policy."

"The wealth of the country is not linked to industries, exports, production, or taxes, but to the things by which intellectual property is connected, which happens in universities. If you want to make your nation wealthy, you will have to invest in university system for Innovation and creating intellectual property," he suggested.

He pointed out that according to a World Economic Forum report in 2019, India is ranked 68. India's manufacturing capacity is at 16-18 percent while the service sector is around 59 percent.

Lashing out at the central government, Kapil Sibal said, "This country is facing a crisis of proportions that have never seen before. This sloganeering is only to divert the attention. Government should come forward to energise creation of intellectual property and innovation in university system instead of sending ABVP to create violence in universities."

He said that from electrical equipment to medical devices, solar power products, pharmaceutical industries, auto components, textile raw materials, dyes and dyestuff, communications, coal sector, digital payment platforms, or even in online learning, India is highly dependent upon other countries. "For India, to become Aatmanirbhar, it needs to gradually move from being a net consumer of knowledge to become a net producer," Sibal asserted.