आज यह महामना एक्सप्रेस शुरू होने जा रही है ऐसे हमारी बहन, रंजन बेन भट्ट जी, श्री भरत भाई दांगल जी, श्री जीतू भाई सुखाडिया जी, श्री भूपेंद्र भाई लकडावाला जी, श्री सौरव पटेल जी, भारतीय रेल के जनरल मेनेजर श्री गुप्ता जी, यहाँ पर उपस्थित सभी भारतीय जनता पार्टी के पदाधिकारीगण, वडोदरा के वरिष्ठ नागरिकगण, मीडिया के बंधु, भाईयों और बहनों|

………..(In Local language) .

The entire expenditure, पूरा खर्चा जो बीएचयू की लाइब्रेरी का है वह बरोडा से गया था इसलिए यह दोनों शहरों को जोड़ने का जो काम यह महामना एक्सप्रेस करेगी, यह वास्तव में उस पुरानी यादों को भी फिर से दोहराती हैं जो बड़ोदरा और वाराणसी के बीच में संबंध था उसको आज फिर एक बार जीवित करती है, फिर एक बार जोड़ती है| जैसा नितिन भाई ने कहा लगभग 1100 लोग, यात्री हर हफ्ते इस ट्रेन के माध्यम से भारत की सांस्कृतिक और बहुत ही महत्वपूर्ण शहर बड़ोदरा को जोड़ेगी, भारत के सबसे प्राचीन शहर बनारस से, और हम सबके लिए यह भी ख़ुशी की बात है कि यह पहली ट्रेन है जो बड़ोदरा से शुरू होने वाली है लॉन्ग डिस्टेंस| और मैं स्वयं कितनी बार मुंबई से दिल्ली बड़ोदरा होते हुए गया हूँ, कितनी बार| बचपन में तो हम ट्रेन से ही जाते थे दिल्ली और हर बार बड़ोदरा रुकते थे, कभी …. या जलेबी का स्वाद लेते थे|

और अब पहली ट्रेन और सोचिये आज़ादी को भी 70 वर्ष हो गए हैं, केंद्र में कई बार मान्य प्रधानमंत्री जी ने कोशिश की कि केंद्र से एक यहाँ से लॉन्ग डिस्टेंस ट्रेन शुरू हो जब वो यहाँ पर मुख्यमंत्री थे लेकिन पिछली सरकार ने कभी स्वीकृति नहीं दी| मुझे ख़ुशी है कि मान्य प्रधानमंत्री जी के आशीर्वाद से और रंजन बेन के प्रयासों से आज बड़ोदरा से पहली लॉन्ग डिस्टेंस ट्रेन शुरू होने जा रही है, और मुझे पूरा विश्वास है यह पहली नहीं रहेगी, इसके बाद और भी ट्रेन्स बड़ोदरा से शुरू होंगी| इस ट्रेन के माध्यम से लगभग 7 घंटे का सफ़र बनारस तक कम हो जायेगा जो आज लगभग 34 घंटे लगते हैं आगे चलकर मात्र 27 घंटे में यह ट्रेन बनारस तक लोगों को पहुंचा पायेगी और हम कोशिश करेंगे आगे चलकर इसका समय और 2-3 घंटे कैसे कम करना इसके लिए मैं प्रयास करूँगा, इसके लिए मैं पूरी कोशिश करूँगा|

साथ ही साथ रंजन बेन ने मुझसे आज एक और मांग की है और मुझे लगता है ऐसे पावन अवसर पर जब मान्य प्रधानमंत्री जी इसको फ्लैग ऑफ करेंगे इस ट्रेन को तो उस मांग को भी मैं नकार नहीं सकता हूँ| एक रेलवे का प्लान है लगभग 22-23 स्टेशन को वर्ल्ड-क्लास स्टेशन बनाने का जिसमें पूरी स्टेशन डेवलपमेंट होगी, और ऊपर स्टेशन के ऊपर वास्तु खड़ा करके पूरे शहर का भी विकास में रेलवे स्टेशन एक बहुत प्रमुख अंग बनेगा|

तो मैंने देखा तो उस लिस्ट में बड़ोदरा का नाम नहीं था, तो मैंने आज ही अधिकारियों को आदेश दिया है कि अब वडोदरा का भी पुनर्वास करना, पूरा नया डेवलपमेंट करने का काम, उसका डिज़ाइन का काम और आगे चलकर उसको टेंडर करके हम बड़ोदरा में भी एक बहुत सुन्दर डेवलपमेंट का प्रोग्राम जल्द ही इसको भी शुरू करें यह निर्णय आज ही हमने लिया है|

वैसे महामना मालविय जी बहुत महान व्यक्ति थे और बहुत तेजस्व था उनके सोच में, इसलिए उनको महामना की पदवी दी गयी थी| रविन्द्र नाथ टैगोर जी ने गाँधी जी को महात्मा की पदवी दी, साथ ही साथ महामना की पदवी पंडित मदन मोहन मालवीय जी को दी गयी और मैं समझता हूँ यह इतना उपयुक्त इस ट्रेन का नाम है महामना एक्सप्रेस क्योंकि मान्य प्रधानमंत्री जी का दिल अभी भी बड़ोदरा में और गुजरात में रहता है| तो पंतप्रधान मोदी जी का जो सपना था कि गुजरात और उत्तर प्रदेश एक विकसित प्रदेश, एक विकास से वंचित लेकिन जिसको हम तेज़ गति से विकास के साथ जोड़ना चाहते हैं ऐसा उत्तर प्रदेश इन दोनों को जोड़ने का काम यहाँ से शुरू हो| और मुझे बहुत ख़ुशी है कि यह ट्रेन आगे चलकर यहाँ के जो कई लोग उत्तर प्रदेश से यहाँ रहते हैं, बिहार से यहाँ रहते हैं, कई लोग जो गुजरात के बनारस जाना चाहते हैं उन सबको सुविधा देगा अगर अच्छी तरीके से इसकी डिमांड बढ़ेगी और ज्यादा से ज्यादा यात्री इसमें सफ़र करेंगे तो हम इसकी हर हफ्ते एक के बदले इसको बढाने का भी आगे प्रयास करेंगे|

और मुझे बड़ी ख़ुशी है यह बताते हुए कि जो आरक्षित रिज़र्व बर्थ्स हैं, लगभग 700 के करीब उसमें आलरेडी 400 से अधिक बर्थ यह पहली ट्रेन है, दो दिन पहले इसकी रिजर्वेशन शुरू की और 400 के अन्दर आरक्षित बर्थ दो दिन के अन्दर रिज़र्व हो गए| और यह तो सिर्फ बड़ोदरा के हैं, आगे चलकर सूरत, जो अलग-अलग स्थानों पर जाएगी बरोट इन सबको जोड़ते हुए जाएगी तो यह पूरी ट्रेन मुझे पूरा विश्वास है शत-प्रतिशत आरक्षित होके जाएगी, और जैसे-जैसे इसकी डिमांड बढ़ेगी इसको हम और अधिक रूप से बढ़ाने का भी प्रयास करेंगे|

मुझे याद है मान्य पंतप्रधान जी ने वडोदरा में एक वाक्य कही थी, पंतप्रधान जी ने कहा था, ‘मैं वडोदरा के लोगों को आश्वस्त करता हूँ कि आने वाले वर्षों में वडोदरा के विकास की नयी ऊँचाइयाँ को सुनिश्चित करने में कोई कसर नहीं छोडूंगा,’ और यह एक कड़ी है, आगे चलकर यहाँ पर हाई स्पीड बुलेट ट्रेन की यूनिवर्सिटी बनने जा रही है| आगे चलकर बुलेट ट्रेन यहाँ से गुज़रेगी यहाँ पर रुकेगी उसका भी मैं आज देखकर आया प्लान्स जो हाई स्पीड बुलेट ट्रेन का जो सफ़र है वह कहाँ से गुजरेगा, कहाँ उसका टर्मिनल बनेगा|

और मुझे पूरा विश्वास है कि जिस तेज़ गति से मान्य प्रधानमंत्री जी नए भारत की कल्पना लेकर पूरे भारत को एक विकसित देश बनाने का प्रयास कर रहे हैं, प्रयत्न कर रहे हैं, संकल्प लेकर बैठे हैं उस नए भारत की कल्पना में वडोदरा में भी बहुत तेज़ गति से प्रगति होगी, विकास होगा| आगे चलकर वडोदरा किस तरीके से उद्योग जगत में, सांस्कृतिक जगत में, शिक्षा के जगत में, अन्य क्षेत्र में किस प्रकार से वडोदरा का विकास हम तेज़ गति से कर पाएं इसके लिए हम लगातार प्रयत्नशील रहेंगे|

मैं अभी-अभी पूछ रहा था कि इसमें थर्ड एसी का कोच क्यों नहीं है, क्योंकि आखिर कई लोग चाहते हैं कि हम थर्ड एयर कंडीशन कोच में भी जायें तो मुझे ख़ुशी है बताते हुए कि इसकी थर्ड एसी का कोच भी हम जल्द ही जल्द शुरू करेंगे और इसमें जोड़ेंगे जिससे वातानुकूल कोचेज़, एयर कंडीशन कोचेज़ इसमें बढें और हमारे बरोडा, सूरत के सभी लोगों को सुविधा और अच्छी मिले और अच्छी सुविधा से वह बनारस तक का सफ़र पार कर सकें|

एक और ख़ुशी की बात यह है कि जितने यह कोचेज़ हैं यह सभी कोच रिहैबिलिटेशन वर्कशॉप भोपाल में बनकर आये हैं, तो एक प्रकार से मेक इन इंडिया के साथ भी इस ट्रेन का जुडाव है और आगे चलकर हमारी कोशिश है कि पूरे रेलवेज में हम सभी कोचेज़ को जितने पैसेंजर कोचेज़ हैं उनको अच्छा, सुन्दर बनाएं| आपने देखा होगा अन्दर अगर जाकर, तो इस ट्रेन में सभी कोचेज़ को बहुत सुन्दर इंटीरियर दिए गए हैं| सब में कुशन है, कुशन के माध्यम से सुविधाजनक सफ़र पार हो सकता है, और जैसे पुन: विकास करेंगे इस पूरे स्टेशन का तो आप सबको आनंद आएगा ट्रेन में सफ़र का|

मुझे याद है हमारे बचपन में तो ट्रेन का सफ़र एक बहुत ही आकर्षित सफ़र होता था| हमने तो कई कहानियाँ और कई पिक्चरें ट्रेन के सफ़र से जुडी हुई देखी हैं| मैं अभी-अभी बैठा-बैठा याद कर रहा था, बहुत छोटे उम्र में, आप को सब यहाँ ज्यादा युवा-युवती दिख रहे हैं, आपको शायद याद नहीं होगा अशोक कुमार की एक पिक्चर थी जिसमें वह गाना था ‘रेल गाडी, छुक-छुक-छुक-छुक…. आगे चलकर वह बढ़-बढकर फिर दिलवाले दुल्हनिया ले जायेंगे जैसे पिक्चरों में रेल गाड़ी का एक महत्वपूर्ण रोल रहता था| फिर और आगे चलें तो लोगों ने रेल गाड़ियों को बड़ा रोमाँटिक एक सफ़र के रूप में पिक्चरों के माध्यम से देखा है|

माननीय प्रधानमंत्री जी का प्रयास है और उनकी इच्छा है कि फिर एक बार भारतीय रेल भारत के विकास का एक बहुत महत्वपूर्ण कड़ी बने, फिर एक बार भारत के विकास को तेज़ गति देने के लिए भारतीय रेल एक महत्वपूर्ण योगदान दें और मुझे पूरा विश्वास है कि पंतप्रधान नरेन्द्र मोदी जी के आशीर्वाद से, उनके विचारों से और उनके मार्गदर्शन से हम वडोदरा में पूरे गुजरात में और पूरे भारत में रेल गाड़ी के सफ़र को फिर एक बार बहुत ही सुन्दर, बहुत ही आकर्षक और बहुत ही सुविधाजनक सफ़र बना पाएंगे|

आपको जानकर ख़ुशी होगी कि गत 3 वर्षों में जो इंडियन रेलवेज का बजट गुजरात के लिए होता था वह लगभग 600 करोड़ से बढकर 4000 करोड़ अभी हो गया है, 600% वृद्धि हुई| तो इस प्रकार से तेज़ गति से रेलवे का इन्वेस्टमेंट, रेलवे का निवेश गुजरात में आएगा, बुलेट ट्रेन के माध्यम से तो लगभग 30-40,000 करोड़ का निवेश सिर्फ गुजरात में आएगा, सिर्फ गुजरात की पावन धरती पर आएगा| और 2022 तक हमारा प्रयास रहेगा कि हाई स्पीड बुलेट ट्रेन शुरू हो जाये और उसके माध्यम से अहमदाबाद से मुंबई का सफ़र लगभग दो घंटे में पार करके उसमें वडोदरा के लोगों को भी स्टॉप की सुविधा होगी, ऐसी ट्रेन से हम आप सबको लाभान्वित करें|

मैं आप सबको बहुत-बहुत बधाई देता हूँ आज के इस शुभ अवसर पर और मान्य उपमुख्यमंत्री नितिन भाई पटेल का धन्यवाद देता हूँ कि वह विशेष रूप से इस रेलवे के कार्यक्रम के लिए यहाँ पर आज आये, मान्य रंजन बेन भट्ट का बहुत-बहुत आभार देता हूँ कि उन्होंने इस ट्रेन की मांग भी की, लगातार प्रयत्न किया और उनके प्रयत्नों से आज यह सुन्दर ट्रेन वडोदरा से शुरू होकर बनारस तक जाएगी| मान्य पंतप्रधान नरेन्द्र भाई का भी धन्यवाद देता हूँ कि उन्होंने इस ट्रेन की मंज़ूरी दी और आज उनके कर कमलों द्वारा थोड़ी ही देर में वह अभी इस स्टेज पर पहुँचने वाले हैं और उनके कर कमलों द्वारा इस ट्रेन को हम आज फ्लैग ऑफ करेंगे वाराणसी के लिए|

आप सबको नवरात्रि की, आगे आने वाले दशहरा, दिवाली की बहुत-बहुत शुभकामनाएं|

Thank you.

 

…..pending my ability to understand the new responsibility, but since this was Adil Bhai’s programme and related to quality, I thought I would still come in for a little time to share my views with all of you. Also, it’s the first day of Navratri, and we had Pujas at home. So, I had the Coal Secretary sitting there to finalize some important decisions before he goes abroad tonight, and my wife and I wanting to do our Navratri Puja, so in between all of that I am sorry I could not be with you on time.

I extend warm greetings to all of you and to the people of India on this auspicious occasion of Navratri. It’s a new beginning, beginnings of good times for you, your families and for the nation. And I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that going forward, together, we will all work for a much greater quality-conscious society, a much greater consciousness amongst all stakeholders in this country about the importance of quality in whatever work each one us may be doing.

The Quality Council of India over the last few years has played an important role in terms of helping generate good systems, establishing processes, procedures in different areas of government. In our own Ministry of Coal, we engage the Quality Council of India to see how we can ensure quality of coal is assured. And I am sure, most of you would be aware that over the last 3 years, quality of coal has improved significantly in terms of better grading, more accurate grading, in terms of crushing the coal to desired levels, so you don’t get boulders. And in all of these I think the Quality Council has also played a role in helping us devise the mechanisms, both to monitor the quality and hold people accountable for that.

Having said that, I think it’s time we as a nation start getting quality ingrained in us in terms of our day-to-day activities. And, I will explain what I mean in probably a few simple examples. A very logical simple example that may sound very silly to many of you here, but I have often had this problem when I have been making arrangements for any of my party programmes or government programmes. Now if were to look at those two chairs, right in front of me, those two chairs have a different height.

It’s a small example, ladies and gentlemen, but I am trying to show what a quality-conscious culture in a nation should be like. Or if you want to look at the stage, how we are going to place these 5 boards, 4 boards on the stage – the name boards. I suspect nobody would have touched and played around with those boards, but whether when they were placed, there was a consciousness about the quality of it. And these types of examples you will find galore, even in a small engagement like this room that we are sitting in. And it happens all the time in our lives.

I think somehow over the years, the fact that a painting is proper level or on a wall it’s central, has somehow not found resonance in our day-to-day thinking, in our day-to-day working. If a carpenter was to make a cupboard and it was to be 1 mm misaligned, he would find it very funny if somebody was to ask him why is it not accurate.

And all of this relates to two very specific problems that we have inherited over years and years, and both of which Quality Council of India is trying to address, is trying to work on. One is the skill development of our people, the quality of skill development, whether we have really taken the development of vocations and trades as seriously as it should be. And, second, of course, is the culture of quality that is ingrained in each one of us, our aspirations for quality,  what we demand in terms of quality, are we willing to accept second-best, are we willing to go for out-dated technologies?

And that ladies and gentlemen is today the question that is grappling, I think, all of us in this room, is grappling business and industry and I think it’s grappling government also. How can we inculcate the quality culture in every individual? I was reviewing the cleanliness on the railway stations, and one of the things that somebody mentioned to me was that, typically, they keep the station very clean, but at the end of it when the garbage is moved out of the station, it’s just put onto the track.

And, by the way, when any of this garbage or any of the excretion from the toilet facilities go on the track, it is not only about cleanliness, it is about the uric acid and other things affecting and corroding the track, and then correspondingly affecting maintenance and safety features. Now, some of you may think I am raising very stupid and simple points, but this is the quality thinking, this is the thinking that we all need to change in our day-to-day working. A simple spelling mistake in a sheet or a comma misplaced, I am sure all of you are aware that while drafting a law if a comma is misplaced, it can actually turn the law 180 degrees.

I in my earlier tenure as Power Minister had a situation of a tender, which had gone to court, where the complainant in court against the government company claimed that it was a typographical error and, therefore, he should be allowed a higher price, without going into the merits or demerits of that case. Now, that typographical error would have meant an additional cost of Rs 600 or 500 crores, probably, to the government. So, obviously, the government officials are not going to except that per se you cannot say it’s a typing error and demand Rs 500-600 crore more. So, they did not accept that. The company is claiming that we have a right to it, because it was a typographical error. Of course, in this case, it was not, but I am still assuming let us say it was.

So, the only way out is that one goes to court. By going to court, a Rs 6000 crores investment, and a project with national dimensions would have got delayed. And it’s a project, which is not an ordinary project. It would impact the availability of power for a large section of India, almost most of South India for years and years to come. But, because of this so-called typographical error, if it was going to result in a Rs 600-500 loss to the government, obviously, it’s not going to be acceptable. And, if that was not to be acceptable, and the private party feels that they have genuinely aggrieved, it goes to court. You all know that court means different levels of judicial, irrespective of who won or lost in the first place, they would go to court at a higher level.

And the project in the meantime is stuck, Rs 6000 crores investment is stuck, power to all of South India would get affected in the next few months or couple of years – a small typing error. Because we take errors so easily in our ….. I remember when I first went in for ISO certification in my factory many years ago, the trainer who used to come, he had given us a sentence, I think most of you are related to quality would know that much better than me – ‘Write what you do and do what you write.’

I think that was the fundamental comment he made to us when we went in for ISO certificate. I said but if we doing something wrong, should we not set it right. He said no, exactly what you are doing was write it down, and what is written you have to follow. And unless you do that, you will never be able to correct what you are doing wrong, till that time it will all be theoretical. Once it’s on paper and you have written down that I place these name cards but don’t care about its alignment, there is no need to bother. You can place them anywhere, then it will come to somebody’s head that, no, we have to specify that it will be 3 inches away from the edge of the table. And if the hotel management is here, they will have to know that this cloth cannot be left floating around. It should be either curved in, or pinned to the top. Ideally, of course, it has covered, I think, yeah, it has covered the whole thing, it’s more a design element.

It’s just the small things, but that’s our culture. Sadly, that’s our culture. We are not conscious of the small things. I have had a personal bad experience where I have got a very fancy guy who’s been my tailor from my father’s time for these jackets and all, and four times he has brought jackets for my testing and Kurta Pyjamas, which has now become my dress, which was not the case 7-8 years ago, where I would come dressed like anyone of you. Four times he has come, once I think the owner came and then three times with his tailor. And can you believe they can’t get a jacket or Kurta like that.

I mean I once remember the bottom of the Kurta, it was literally waving. I said look, you are a tailor? How can you have a waving bottom of the Kurta? How can you have all the …. coming out all the time when you are wearing it, how can you have buttons, can you believe, buttons misaligned? So, you have a sudden bulge, the ladies will understand it probably better.

Now that’s small things, but it has large dimensions. It is then when our product goes abroad, they don’t want to take an Indian product. So, it has a ramification on exports. We can blame all the export woes on labour problems in the textile sector as much as we want, but I suspect, our labour laws are far more liberal than what they are in Europe or many other parts of the world. We could do better. There is no denying that there is always scope for all of us to do better in every area. But are we really doing a root cause analysis to understand, what is it that is truly impacting this country’s competitive edge, this country’s ability to serve the world.

And ultimately, it will all come down to quality. How conscious as a nation are we going to be about what we do in our life from beginning to end resonates with quality. I mean, since I mentioned to you कि मैं अभी नवरात्रि की पूजा करके आया हूँ| I will tell you, हम मंदिर को सजाते हैं, when we are decorating a temple, we are very quality conscious, there we will not make any mistake. So, if I put a flower even slightly wrong, I am in trouble. Navratri is every 6 months, so at least for the next 6 months I am in trouble.

That’s the seriousness what we take to our work. And then, let’s say a Quality Council official going to check if the certification of a skill development centre is good or bad or right or wrong, giving marks or whatever is the system. When that one person, if he makes a mistake in his work, ladies and gentlemen, just imagine, one inspector of the Quality Council of India makes a mistake in certifying a skill development programme, let’s say for drivers. That mistake means that all the drivers who will come out of that skill development centre will probably accentuate that mistake. As each one of them comes out and drives a car or a school bus, the mistake further translates to a risk to the safety of our young children or whoever travels with them. And then I don’t want to even suggest what could go wrong.

And some of you may remember, there was that Kamal Haasan movie, what was that? Where he is a father, grandfather and son or whatever, anybody remembers that movie where the third generation, the grandfather is a freedom fighter and the grandson is a RTO inspector? Hindustani? That was the movie! Hindustani! It is very easy to connect everything to Hindi movies actually. But remember, one can say negligence, one can call it corruption, but ultimately, all of it was the quality of testing of that driver causing a loss of so many lives.

So, in every walk of life – today, I got little delayed Zainul Bhai for two reasons. One was, of course, the Navratri Puja at home, I was just mentioning before you came and the other was the Coal Secretary and I were finalizing a cabinet note. And it’s gone 4 times up and down, I think my officials must be sick and tired of my working, but sadly for them I had to read from top to bottom the 4^th time over. But unless we take that seriousness in each one of our work, we will not pick out that one little element, which gets left out and may not realise what impact it will have 30 years later and then you could possibly have a CAG who reads that more carefully than we did and come out with a note against me which could impact a whole election.

I am only trying to express how a small thing can have national, international dimensions. It’s the quality of the work that we do in each one of our respective lives. And in that sense, the Quality Council, particularly, and all the professionals related to quality have great significance in the work that you are doing, because you are just the beginning of a whole chain of events, and that chain could expand to really large dimensions.

Can you imagine ISRO making a mistake on quality? Can you imagine Boeing or Airbus making a mistake on quality? And we have had those occasions. Ultimately, when there is a train accident and the deeper you go into the detail and we are now going to strengthen that investigation process, so that we literally do an investigation like an aircraft investigation, where they are able to do it without even the aircraft or all the parts being available.

I don’t know if any of you has watched that investigation, there is some television serial, which shows the investigation of aircraft crashes. It’s remarkable. The extent of detail to which they go, but why do they do it? Because they want to set it right, do a root cause analysis and set it right for the future. Can we as a nation imbibe that culture that we will not rest till we bring perfection in each one of our works. It’s an aspirational goal, but truly that should be the aspiration of at least all the youngsters in this room who are yet to get into the groove into things of चलता है or जाने दो and चलेगा approach.

Till we change that as a nation, adjustment की psychology से जब तक हम निकलते नहीं है, manage हो जायेगा, यह हमारे दिमाग से जब तक निकलता नहीं है, pass करवा लेंगे| These are the words which have to get out of our dictionary.

And I have no doubt in my mind that truly when this movement starts across the country and we all become the flag bearers of this movement of quality, when each one of us becomes a brand ambassador to take quality into our organisations, into our friend circle in whatever our parties are. And I have yet to come across a party, we have Diwali coming up soon, where anybody would ever discuss quality. But I don’t know, can we someday Aadil Bhai have a Pakwada of 15 day period where every conversation across the country, we try to move towards quality consciousness. Just think about it!

And once we ingrain that in our teachers, look at what an impact it could have on the next generation of students that come out of our schools and colleges. When we put that into our government officials, think of the impact it can have towards good governance. Of course, we also need to put that into the politicians. Well, we are reaching towards our goal. The last few months and years we have had some good successes, so I think the quality must be improving.

But, truly, it has to become a national movement. We all have to get engaged in that, I mean, even the media personal who are here. I am sorry, with no offence meant to anybody, fortunately, in this room; they are all sitting down, which is a real remarkable feature of this conference. Otherwise, you go in any programme, first you are struggling between audience and media that we can’t see the stage हटो, साइड में हटो, बैठो, all of that. Try giving a bite to the media, when I go out and you can see it in a few minutes from now. You are trying to say something, but there will be people talking all across the place. They don’t care whether you have started talking, whether there should be silence, so that it can be recorded well.

Frankly, it will be the same whether your mike is a little further away or on my mouth. But, it’s just the consciousness. Did we ever try to train the person who is holding the camera or the mike? Literally, did we ever try to train him or any and everybody could just start that work and that’s the end of the chapter.

When we look at journalists, are they being trained to verify facts, to become more accurate in their reporting, or is it always going to be just sensational, 24×7 reporting? I mean, I am just letting my mind wander. I don’t know what these young boys and girls here are engaged in, but reflect on whatever you are doing. Will you accept second-best when you go and get a service? आप की साड़ी में फॉल ठीक से नहीं लगी है तो आप ले लोगे क्या फुल दाम पर? तो फिर हम जब अपना काम करते हैं तो हमारे ऊपर दायित्व नहीं बनता है कि हमको भी वही क्वालिटी स्टैण्डर्ड दूसरे को देना है?

That’s ladies and gentlemen my humble submission to all of you. Let us, as a nation, resolve that this will be a nation where quality will have the highest priority over everything else. Can we learn from the examples of countries like Japan where there is zero tolerance to bad quality? Can we not just benchmark ourselves to another less perfect peer? But look at the best-in-class in the world, should we be satisfied that we have only a .2% failure rate in something or should we aspire for 6 Sigma or whatever else, I am not a technical person so pardon me, if I say anything wrong. But, truly, the aspiration of the nation has to change.

So, I leave it to all of you to deliberate on it. I leave to all of you to reflect what could be the path towards making this country truly aspirational in its goal for the highest levels of quality in every walk of life, in everything that we do, can that become the hallmark, can that become the defining feature of Make in India, can that become the defining feature of serve in India, can that become the defining feature of the job and role that each one of us does in our life – 24×7, quality, our mantra, our motto.

Thank you very much.

 

 

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will flag off Third Mahamana Express on 22nd September, 2017 to run between Varanasi and Vadodara through video conferencing from Varanasi. On this occasion, Minister of Railways, Shri Piyush Goyal, Dy. Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Nitinbhai Patel will be present at Vadodara station, while Shri Manoj Sinha, Minister of State for Railways & Minister of Communications (Independent Charge) Govt. of India, will be present at Surat Railway station.

The train, in its inaugural service, will run as special train with the Train No. 09103 Vadodara – Varanasi Special and will depart from Vadodara on Friday, 22nd September, 2017 and reach Varanasi on Saturday, 23rd September, 2017.

Similarly, in return direction, the special trip with Train No. 09104 Varanasi – Vadodara Special will depart from Varanasi at 22.00 hrs on Saturday, 23rd September, 2017 and will reach Vadodara at 01.50 hrs on Monday, 25th September, 2017.

After the inaugural trip, a regular service from 27th September, 2017 onwards, Train No. 20903 Vadodara – Varanasi Weekly Superfast Mahamana Express will depart from Vadodara on every Wednesday at 19.40 hrs and will reach Varanasi at 22.20 hrs the next day. Similarly, in return direction w.e.f 29th September, 2017 onwards, Train No. 20904 Varanasi – Vadodara Weekly Superfast Mahamana Express will depart from Varanasi on every Friday at 06.10 hrs and will reach Vadodara at 09.40 hrs the next day. The train will halt at Bharuch, Surat, Amalner, Bhusaval, Itarsi, Jabalpur, Katni, Satna and Chheoki stations in both directions. The train will have I AC, II tier AC, Sleeper Class and II Class General Coaches.

The booking for the “inaugural run” of Train no. 09103 Vadodara – Varanasi Special train is already open with “immediate effect.”

For “regular run” of Train No. 20903 Vadodara – Varanasi Weekly Superfast Mahamana Express, the booking will open from “22nd September, 2017”.

Two Mahamana Express are already in service namely 22163/22164  Bhopal – Khajuraho Mahamana Express and 22417/22418 Varanasi New Delhi Mahamana Express.

SALIENT FEATURES OF MAHAMANA EXPRESS

1. Modular Panels without visible screws and minimum maintenance hatches  inside passenger area for better safety and aesthetics
2. Use of superior material for panels in terms of toxicity index and fire retardation.
3. Ergonomically designed Ladders for climbing up to upper berths provided in all sleeper coaches.
4. Aesthetically appealing toilet modules provided with enhanced passenger amenities – big mirror, platform washbasin, controlled discharged water tap, odour control system, exhaust fan, LED lights, dustbin inside the toilet to name a few.
5. Shifting of electrical junction points from passenger area to non-passenger area in a centralised distribution board for enhanced safety.
6. Use of e-beam cables and polyamide conduits for enhanced electrical and fire safety.
7. Use of LED Lighting to enhance illumination & service durability while minimizing power consumption.
8. Enhanced scale of light fittings including berth reading lights in GSCN(Sleeper) Coaches and embarking light in all classes of coaches.
9. The scale of mobile/ laptop charging points have been increased in all classes of coaches.
10. LED based berth indicators cum night light for reserved coaches provided to assist passengers boarding train in night.
11. Provision of fire extinguisher in all coaches.
12. Provision of electrically operated chimney in Pantry Car.
13. Stainless steel panelling in Luggage Compartment.

Source:  http://pib.nic.in/newsite/mbErel.aspx?relid=171001

Our very beloved Lila Ben, somebody whom I have known since my childhood, probably, I knew Lila Ben even before I came to know Sameer. Shri Prakash Bhai Mehta, honorable Minister, government of Maharashtra, Sameer Bhai, Mr Ranganathan, former Chief Secretary. All the distinguished guests who have assembled for this very important 59^th Foundation Day of Somaiya Vidyavihar, ladies and gentlemen.

I think it was truly a delight to hear Dr Bhide welcome us in Sanskrit, probably, the first time in my life that I have had such an experience. My late father was very keen that I should study Sanskrit, somehow I never got down to it, but hearing Dr Bhide today, it actually sounded quite simple. He made it so comfortable that we could get a fair sense of what he was saying, so am almost tempted to see if I can spend a few days in Mumbai and study Sanskrit here.

In fact, I had accepted this invite when I was not the Railway Minister and after I took charge of railways, and I realized the dimensions of the job. I cancelled all the engagements, because I thought it’s important as Mr Ranganathan will appreciate to really get a grip on the job, understand what I am supposed to do. But, my relation with the Somaiya family goes back so many years and my father’s relation with Shanti Bhai before that, Shanti Lalji, that this was one programme I could not cancel and I actually came in to Mumbai last night at 12:30.

We had a meeting with the Chief Minister and the railway officials and the government officials till 3 o’clock last night, and I thought that since I am coming to Somaiya Vidyavihar I might as well use the opportunity to do some good as the Provost was just mentioning. Of course, I may not be able to get you your license as a University immediately but, we can still do some good in other ways.

The Provost also mentioned Prakash Bhai does not trouble too much, actually, whether it is Prakash or me, we would love to trouble you a lot. The problem is we don’t get anywhere when we try to trouble you and that is the beauty of this institution why we respect Somaiya Vidyavihar. The very fact that they have been able to resist all sorts of pressures and I am privy to some of the pressures that his father and Sameer, both have faced over the last 30 years and the very fact that they have maintained the dignity of the institution, the value systems of the institutions and the merit-based processes of admitting good students, deserving students is something we are all very proud of Sameer, keep it up.

And why I drew upon this issue was, because I have been appealing to the business community, to youngsters all across the country over the last three and half years, to my own chartered accountant brothers, that ultimately it is only we all, who can make a difference to our destiny.

The provost was right and the Prime minister has been appealing to it, Karamshi Bhai demonstrated it with his work that unless we all get together to transform India, it is not going to be possible for one individual, one government, one organization, to be able to make that change, to make that difference that we all want to see in our lifetime happening in India. It will only happen when all of us collectively decide that we will not pay a bribe, it will only happen when all of us collectively decide that we will pay our taxes honestly, it will only happen when we all decide that whatever the process, whatever the law, whatever the legal framework, Somaiya will continue to persevere from 2013 till now or whenever, but we will still follow the law and the process, will not try to take a shortcut, we will not try to find a solution, an extraneous solution, but will ensure due respect of the law.

And when the entire nation takes this as the guiding philosophy of our world that is when we can truly transform India. And that is what I would appeal to all the 31,000 students in this campus or the 39,000 students that study and are privileged to get this high quality education at Somaiya, to keep as the beacon of your very existence that value system which made Karamchi Bhai start this institution years and years and years ago, let that be our value system.

I often appeal to my Chartered Accountant friends and I think the Prime Minister appealed to them on 1^st of July, when we celebrated our Foundation Day that if all of us Chartered Accountants alone, we are about two and a half lakh, if all of us decide, we will not pay a bribe, just imagine the transformation that could happen in the tax structures, the tax systems. After all कोई देगा तभी तो कोई ले पायेगा ना, अगर हम सब तय कर लें हम देंगे नहीं तो लेने वाला कहाँ से आएगा, कहाँ जायेगा? और कब तक आपको तकलीफ दे पायेगा|

And I think that is the spirit of Karamchi Bhai, Shanti Bhai and Sameer over the last 59 years of this institution that has maintained the integrity of this institution, that has ensured continuous success and the fact that they did not mix philanthropy and businesses. Unfortunately, a lot of philanthropy is moving towards becoming a part of business these days. For the Somaiya family, this has always been a part of their charitable bent of mind, it’s something that they want to give back to society. No donations, the provost was just mentioning, I think the entire world, every citizen of Mumbai, everybody, knows this is one institution you cannot take a shortcut. You cannot pay a donation, you cannot get admission out of turn – transparency.

And, while he mentioned that Karamchi Bhai did not receive formal education beyond the 7^th standard. I think running an organization, running  a business or for that matter running a government is not about education, is not about what you learn in school, in college alone. It’s about integrity, it’s about what you believe in, it’s about your value systems, it’s about what you believe is good for the nation, is good for society. And if any organization stays the course on values, I think there is no way one will see failure ever.

The entire story that we are trying to craft in the last three and a half years, we have got some moderate successes, we have a long road ahead of us to create the New India of Prime Minister Modi’s dreams. A long way, but very little time. The journey is big, but the aspirations of the people today, are urgent. Balancing the aspirations of a billion people, yet maintaining institutional integrity, maintaining fundamental principles of good governance. After all, whether Sameer runs the educational institution, whether he runs his business or Prakash Bhai and I try to run our political process or the government, I think the guiding principles or the commandments are all the same.

We need to have the highest level of transparency. We need to have accountability. We need to monitor the work that is happening. We need to bring innovation into our work. We need to have more and more stakeholder consultations, involve society, involve the customer, involve the people who are going to be affected. Again, whether in the college, whether in the business or whether in our government, everywhere, the principles of good governance are broadly the same.

And, as long as we all work towards maintaining that institutional integrity, I think nobody can ever go wrong, no business, no government, no organization will ever have to taste failure. Of course, we all make mistakes, mistakes is a part of life. In fact, when I was reading through the Times of India on 15^th August, some of your students also have given some comments on Independence Day. One of the comment that a Somaiya student gave and I am very proud of that student, I don’t know who it was, he or she said, “I want freedom of choice, even if that means making mistakes.” It is a very powerful statement.

Who doesn’t make mistakes in life? In fact, mistakes define our very existence, our very effort that we put in. It is said that, if you don’t make mistakes, it means that you haven’t tried hard enough, because if you really go that extra mile you are going to make mistakes. But, in that process, success is ensured.

I believe Alibaba’s founder, Jack Ma, has probably written about a thousand and one mistakes that he made. But it’s only those mistakes that define his success today, and in that sense, to my mind what quality of education one is receiving in this august institution is truly remarkable for its effort to excite the imagination of students. What we saw today as we came in, I had the experience of an NCC team of girls, which somehow I feel is almost becoming non-existent in our country.

I used to be a cub, and then a boys scout in school. I regret the fact that we haven’t made a thing like that compulsory in this country. Of course, fortunately, I don’t think there is press here. Otherwise, I was in trouble, the headlines tomorrow was, ‘the Modi government wants to make inculcating discipline in students compulsory and, therefore, we are against freedom or we are intolerant.’ But I do believe the nation needs to have some value system, some disciple, inculcated in students at the grooming up age.

I remember and Sameer you will remember, we had the moral science lecture in school in the good old days. I suspect it’s not there. I don’t know if the children of today receive moral science lectures in school anymore, and what were we taught? I was in a Christian school, the Christians used to go to the Church in our school, Don Bosco, right around our neighbourhood, and we were all given moral science lectures, and what was that all about? Respecting your elders, caring for the environment, for nature, working with discipline, working hard, respecting the opposite sex. All of these were simple value systems that we were taught at a young age.

I don’t know if some of you may recall or know. On the 15^th August, 2014, when Prime Minister Modi was giving his first address on Independence Day. Of course, it’s very sad reflection on our society that on such an important day like, 15^th August also, I suspect nowadays not too many people get up at 07:30 to hear the Prime Minister’s address, which is in a way a report card, in a way a vision, which he is articulating for the nation. I don’t know how many parents today make their children get up to listen to that, forget the political ideology behind it or the party in power. It could be Dr Manmohan Singh few years ago, it will be Prime Minister Modi now.

But these are occasions when we inculcate values into our children, even values of respecting our independence. The fact that Mahatma Gandhi and scores of people gave up their life for us to be having that freedom about which we are talking today. But to come to the point on 15^th August, 2014, Prime Minister Modi had made a very-very important observation. My daughter who was than in India from her studies, was by coincidence in India that day and she was sitting on the ground below the Red Fort and Prime Minister said, ‘why do we always tell the girls how to behave, to take care, to not go out, do this, do that. Why don’t we start with the boys? Have we all ever told our boys how to respect the girls, how to look at people from the other sex, how to behave with them?’

And I tell you that it had such a profound impact on my daughter, who was at that time probably not even 18, a 17-year old girl, that the leader of the nation is looking at the basics, doing a root cause analysis, what needs to be done to impact and transform society. I don’t know, if you are aware, he is very passionate about the girl child getting education, becoming an integral part of the society, a self-reliant respectful part of society. In fact, all his salary that he gets and all these mementos, which are received by dignitaries, go into an auction and the proceeds of that go to teach the girl child, for girl child education. If I recall correctly, as Chief Minister of Gujarat, just out of these mementos, which otherwise can be kept at home, by auctioning them 28 crores or some such figure was collected and went to girl child education.

What I am just trying to say that all of us will have to become the integral part of the change that we want to see in this country, that transformation to New India, an India where everybody has a home, everybody has electricity, water in his home, a good toilet, good education, good healthcare in the neighbourhood. That is the absolute basics that one can hope to give to our lesser fortunate brethren. After all, if many of us would reflect we would have our roots in some villages somewhere? Don’t the children there deserve what we all are enjoying over here, and which is why I think the fact that we still have philanthropists like the Somaiya family coming down three generations and maintaining value systems, is something that we are all extremely proud of, is something that encourages a person like me also to try and give back to society in whatever role I get at different points of time. Not necessarily always in government, but in every walk of life – be it a teacher who is trying to give back through educating her wards. But being honest to her job, sincere, maintaining discipline, maintaining the time, doing his/her best to give back to her children. Be it the businessmen who pay their taxes, which help to fund so many social programmes, be it a banker who runs financial inclusion programmes and helps the people from lower strata of society also stand up in life, be it through the Mudra Yojna, be it through farmer loans, be it a civil servant who dedicates his whole life to keep sanity in administration, in the government, in the country. Or be it the sweeper who has kept this beautiful auditorium so nice and clean.

As the Prime Minister said, the most important person in our life, because after all, would you have come to an auditorium which was littered with plastic bottles and garbage all over this place? Would any of you have liked to be a part of a programme like that?

Every individual has a role to play, and in that role we all have a role to help him/her play that role better, which is nature, which ties us all together in different forms. We have some diplomats here, in a globalized world, they play an important role in bringing nations together, keeping peace and tranquillity in the geo-political international arena in engaging with each other to fight the serious challenges, be it terrorism, be it climate change.

Each and every one of us has a purpose why we are here, and it is that purpose, if implemented with principles, with values, with respect, with concern from the heart, I have no doubt in my mind that India will become the super power that we were at one point of time, that we are destined to be and which we are committed to making India a super power, where every citizen has a pride of place, where every citizen is self-reliant, where every citizen is respected and where every citizen contributes to the future of the country, to the well-being of the rest of society.

I am delighted that Somaiya Vidyavihar has played such a important role in shaping the destiny of Mumbai, in shaping the destiny of, probably by now millions of students, over the last 59 years. Making millions of ambassadors of goodness, who have all gone in different walks of life, who have all served society in different walks of life.

I wish this institution, all success in the years to come. I wish the Somaiya family, more particularly, Leela Ben long and healthy life in the service of society, and I wish all of you teachers, parents, students, the trustees. Maharaj ji is 93 years old, but has still chosen to come all the way from Madhya Pradesh to be amongst all of us us.

उनका जुनून कम नहीं हुआ है 93 साल की उम्र में और हम सब युवा-युवतिओं के ऊपर ज़िम्मेदारी है कि उनके उस जुनून को हम पूरा करें, पूरे रूप से उसको सफल बनाये | और जब यह ज़िम्मेदारी हम सब मिलके अपने कंधे पर ले लेंगे तो मुझे पूरा विश्वास है कि महाराज जी भी संतुष्ट होंगे कि मैं एक ऐसे अच्छे काम के साथ जुड़ा जिससे इस भारत के नव निर्माण के लिए, इस भारत के transformational new beginnings के लिए यह देश तैयार है और यह देश उसमें पूर्ण रूप से सफलता पायेगा |

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