QuotePM Modi attends 50th Raising Day celebrations of CISF, salutes their valour
QuoteVIP culture sometimes creates hurdle in security architecture. Hence, it's important that the citizens cooperate with the security personnel: PM
QuotePM Modi praises the CISF personnel for their contributions during national emergencies and disasters

All my CISF friends, who are engaged in the protection and security of the nation's property and honour!

All the brave family members present here today!

Ladies and gentlemen!

Heartiest congratulations to you all on the occasion of 50th Raising Day celebrations!

The completion of 50 years as an organization is a commendable feat. The CISF has been able to attain this height today due to the contribution made not only by the institution as a whole but also by all those great people who have headed it for that past 50 years and have worked relentlessly to take this institute to newer heights. They have worked for its human resource development too. Today we are celebrating 50 years or the Golden Jubilee. Congratulations to all those who have worked during the last 50 years to take this institution to such great heights. Some of them are present here today. They are extremely praiseworthy.

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But brothers and sisters,

Your accomplishment becomes all the more important because the neighbouring country is hostile. Although they are incapable of fighting a direct war, but different conspiracies within India get an impetus from that land that gives rise to different forms of monstrous terrorism; amidst such situations, it becomes all the more challenging to protect the nation and its resources.

Just a short while ago, during the ongoing Parade, I could feel the zeal and determination that are necessary for building a glorious India. I congratulate the Parade Commander, and all the soldiers and officials who took part in the Parade for this grand presentation. Several friends have also received medals here today for their excellent service. I congratulate all of you for this. Besides, I also congratulate the winners of Police Medal and Jeevan Raksha Padak announced on the Republic Day this year.

Friends,

All of you associated with CISF, have played a crucial role in protecting the wealth of the nation. In order to safeguard the new and modern systems of India, in order to fulfil the country's hopes and aspirations, you are continuously moving forward.

We know that there are several security arrangements and we have inherited these things like its formation, mechanism and structure from the British era. There are a very few institutions that have taken birth after Independence according to the needs. These were born in free India. These took birth as a result of the thinking of free India. These institutions were born to fulfil the dreams of independent India. And CISF is one of the important units among those. Therefore, its birth, nourishment, development, expansion etc. happened gradually in the form of progressive unfolding. This occasion of Golden Jubilee is extremely a proud moment for everyone especially those who have headed this institution and have helped in its growth.

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Such an institution is created not just by approval of a file by the government or the Cabinet. It was the efforts of thousands of people over the 50 years. They have developed such an institution keeping in mind the needs of the people. And it became a great entity of faith for the nation. Therefore, no congratulatory word is enough for you. Rajesh Ranjan ji was saying -'it is pleasantly surprising that the Prime Minister has come to our event'. But I would rather say that I would have missed a lot of things if I hadn't come here.

The constant penance of 50 years is not less. It's a great penance. You have to be alert for 365 days in a year. You have to keep your hands, legs and body ready to avert any calamity and save the nation. You all have to work in such difficult circumstances wherein just one or two incidents could end everything. This is not an easy task. I understand it completely because as the Prime Minister, even I receive a protective shield. But I am sorry to say that giving protection to a single person is not a difficult task compared to protecting an institution where about 30 lakh people come and go; or 8 lakh people come and go; where every face is new, every person has a different behaviour. So, protecting such a huge institution is lakhs of times more difficult than protecting a VIP. You are doing that! You are taking care of the institution.

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It's not that you are just guarding the doors of an institute. But you are protecting India's path of development. You are instilling a new faith in India's journey for development. And as per my experience, the biggest hurdles that you face while serving is created by people like us - the politicians who consider themselves kings. They consider themselves to be VIPs. If your security personnel stops him and checks at Airports, his anger starts erupting. He starts insulting you. He might even say that he would see you! You seek forgiveness and try telling him that it was just your duty but he wouldn't budge. This is the VIP culture.

Let me narrate an incident. When I used to do party work, I had to travel throughout the country on a regular basis. Once there was a senior political leader with me. There are a few airports in our country wherein there is double security check due to high security - like Srinagar. It was once the same even in Guwahati. Now I am not aware of the situation there. The senior political leader with me was a well-known figure but the security personnel at the airport could not identify him. He started doing the routine checks according to his drill. As he was being checked, his temper started rising. He could not cool down even after sitting inside the aircraft. He was not talking to me. I tried to understand his psychology. The next time, when we had to visit another place, I asked him to come after me so that I checked-in first. What I did was, I went straight to the security check; your security guard was standing there. I went to him and raised both my hands in the air. Then I said – “brother, quickly finish the aarti ritual”. He said - "but I know you". I said - "so what if you know me, until you finish the ritual of using your metal detector, I won't go". Then I told the senior leader - "why do you take these things to heart during the security check?" Just take it as the aarti ritual. Feel proud of it. Let us cooperate with the security personnel.

Sometimes this VIP culture becomes a threat to security. I have the courage to say this from here because I too follow discipline but my discipline never comes in between. This is the duty of every citizen. You all are 1.5 lakh in number. Even though your strength increases to 15 lakhs, your job will be difficult unless the citizens are disciplined and cooperative. Therefore, on this Golden Jubilee year, I believe it is necessary to educate the citizens about the significance of this massive system. Hence, when I was inspecting the Parade, I was wondering what to talk to you about today. A thought entered my mind - to create a digital museum within the airports and metro stations. The details about the origin, development and expansion of CISF, the way they are serving the citizens and their expectations etc. can keep playing on screens. The 30 lakh people travelling by metro will watch it sometime or the other. About 7-8 lakh people coming to the airport will watch it sometime or the other. The people will realize that these people work for 24 hours a day. They should respect them and feel proud of them. Sensitization is necessary. The more the people are informed, the stronger will be the security forces. You have my complete support in pushing this task.

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Compared to the other central forces, the numbers of daughters are greater in CISF. They are certainly giving a new dimension to the strength of the country and I therefore congratulate those daughters and their parents for choosing this field. I especially congratulate that mother who has taken the responsibility of securing the path of development of the country by encouraging the daughters to wear the uniform.

Friends,

The spirit of security and service with which you are moving ahead are extremely important. You all are responsible for safeguarding the entire modern infrastructure being built - ports, airports, expansion of the metro and big industries etc. This powerful force of more than 1.5 lakh security personnel is striving to provide a safe and secure environment to the Indians and people visiting India from around the world.

Friends,

Everyone feels completely safe in airports and metro. This has been possible because of your dedication, alertness and the public's faith in you. There is an ongoing expansion work for both airports and metro services. We are moving towards becoming the largest nation providing such services in both these fields.

Friends,

Several times, I have got the opportunity to travel by metro. I have seen how hard you all have to work. You have to constantly keep an eye on the people and their belongings for hours. The common man who travels by metro or flight can see your hard work too. But sometimes there are a few people who under-estimate your work. They feel that your work is limited to checking every person.

Friends,

It is essential for the nation to know that all the security personnel of CISF are not just associated with the job of checking but with every aspect of security and human sensitivity.

Friends,

Your contribution has also always been commendable during the natural disasters. Last year during the Kerala floods, your friends have saved thousands of lives by engaging day and night in rescue operations. Not only in the country but whenever the humanity had been threatened abroad, the CISF had always fulfilled its responsibility. Your contribution after the Nepal and Haiti earthquakes has been appreciated by the international community. Moreover, I am told that you are playing a significant role in uniting those children with their families who get separated from their families during journeys. Similarly, you are responsible for providing a safe environment to the daughters. Due to all these reasons you have garnered the faith of the entire nation.

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Friends,

Today, on this important occasion as we have reached a significant milestone, we should also commemorate our colleagues who have given supreme sacrifice for their duty, for the protection of our country; who have been martyred for the protection of our country. You have given the supreme sacrifice for protecting the country, for preserving our invaluable heritage and wealth from those forces that promote terrorism and violence. Be it CISF, CRPF or the other armed forces, we are able to look forward to our dream of a New India due to your dedication and sacrifice. So far, more than 35 thousand Police friends, including the 4000 martyrs from the central police forces have laid down their lives. I offer my homage to all the martyrs.

But I would like to tell the people associated with the Defence forces that I emotionally feel that the people in Khaki uniforms; their hard work has not received so much respect and honour as it should have got in the country. It has not received enough recognition from the common people. So, for the first time since Independence, a Prime Minister had advocated from the ramparts of Red Fort to appropriately commemorate the martyrdom of more than 35 thousand policemen. I wanted to do that because the ordinary citizens are not aware of the reality. They judge the entire system based on the impression that is created by the behaviour of maybe a particular constable towards them.

It is important for the country to enhance the glory, prestige and honour of our security forces more and more. The establishment of the Police Memorial is a part of that. And I would like the school students to visit the Memorial and know those who have sacrificed their lives for us. We should keep on putting efforts in this direction. All your families too sacrifice for the security of the nation. It is difficult to put it in words. And I am glad that while I was travelling in an open Jeep, I got the opportunity to meet the three generations. Here, the three generations of your family are present. The elderly ascetic people too are present. Today some retired people are also present here on this occasion. I have had the opportunity to meet them too. I salute all the families because the sacrifices of these families give strength to those who are on duty.

Friends,

You keep standing on your front without wavering in any season - summer, winter or rains. There are several festivals like Holi, Diwali, Eid for the nation but for you, your duty becomes your festival. The families of the security personnel are also like the others. They have dreams and aspirations. They too have doubts and apprehensions. But when it comes to the security of the nation, they overcome every obstacle....... (Audio interrupted)....

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.......There should be a full-day drill programme for different units. A protocol similar to 'blue-book' should be prepared so that we can prepare the people for it. We can move ahead on similar lines. We should do another thing. A separate Task Force can be created within CISF. There should be a real time study and monitoring of how the terrorists are looking for new modus operandi, how they are operating in new ways and the types of technologies they are using. The terrorists can misuse the gas pipelines and turn it into a catastrophe. Such things are happening around the world. We need to develop our systems by studying the equipment etc. used by the terrorists in the world. It would be better if we have such a dedicated Task Force for this study. And this study has to be done globally. Now there are no limits for terrorism. Terrorism is not confined to thousand kilometres or two thousand kilometres. They can be anywhere in any corner of the world. This is a challenge for humanity. Therefore, the challenge for your work is greater.

I would like to assure you that there will not be anything lacking on my behalf ever in fulfilling your needs and expectations. Once again, on the occasion of Golden Jubilee I congratulate you all for taking this institution to such great heights and for your contribution towards this institution. I also congratulate you all on the occasion of Golden Jubilee for arousing the belief in the people apart from ensuring the security of the nation. My best wishes to you all. And I believe that we will not leave any stone unturned in fulfilling the dreams of the country. With this spirit, my heartiest congratulations to my soldier brothers, their families and the great people who have carried this institution forward. With that I end my speech.

Say aloud with me everyone, whether in uniform or not! Everyone say -

Bharat Mata Ki Jai!

Bharat Mata ki Jai!

Bharat Mata ki Jai!

Thanks a lot!

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India is going to open doors of new possibilities of space for the world: PM Modi
June 28, 2025
QuoteI extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to you for hoisting the flag of India in space: PM
QuoteScience and Spirituality, both are our Nation’s strength: PM
QuoteThe success of Chandrayaan mission and your historic journey renew interest in science among the children and youth of the country: PM
QuoteWe have to take Mission Gaganyaan forward, we have to build our own space station and also land Indian astronauts on the Moon: PM
QuoteYour historic journey is the first chapter of success of India's Gaganyaan mission and will give speed and new vigour to our journey of Viksit Bharat: PM
QuoteIndia is going to open doors of new possibilities of space for the world: PM

Prime Minister: Shubhanshu Namaskar!

Shubhanshu Shukla: Namaskar!

Prime Minister: Today you are far away from your motherland, from Bharat Bhumi, but you are closest to the hearts of Indians. There is auspiciousness in your name and your journey is also the beginning of a new era. At this time, we two are talking, but the sentiments of 140 crore Indians are also with me. My voice reflects the enthusiasm and excitement of all Indians. I extend my heartiest congratulations and best wishes to you for hoisting the flag of India in space. I am not taking much time, so first of all tell me, is everything fine there? Are you feeling well?

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Shubhanshu Shukla: Yes, Prime Minister Ji! Thank you very much for your wishes and the wishes of my 140 crore countrymen. I am absolutely fine and safe here. Because of your blessings and love… I am feeling very good. This is a very new experience and somewhere or the other, many such things are happening which show in which direction I and many people like me in our country and our India are moving. This journey of mine, this small journey of 400 kilometers from the earth to the orbit, is not just mine. I feel that somewhere this is also the journey of our country because when I was young, I could never imagine that I could become an astronaut. But I believe that today's India under your leadership provides this opportunity and also gives a chance to realize those dreams. So, this is a great achievement for me and I feel very proud that I am able to represent my country here. Thank you, Prime Minister Ji!

Prime Minister: Shubh, you are out in space, where gravity is next to nothing, but every Indian is seeing how down to earth you are. Did you feed the Gajar ka halwa you carried with you to your friends?

Shubhanshu Shukla: Yes, Prime Ministerji! I had brought some food items from my country, like Gajar ka Halwa, Moong Dal Halwa and Aam Ras and I wanted my other friends, who have come from other countries, to also taste it and experience the rich culinary heritage of India. So, we all sat together and tasted it and everyone liked it very much. Some people asked when they would come down and visit our country and taste it with us…

Prime Minister: Shubh, Parikrama is a centuries old tradition of India. You have got the good fortune of doing Parikrama of Mother Earth. Which part of the Earth will you be passing over right now?

Shubhanshu Shukla: Yes, Prime Minister Ji! I don't have that information right now, but a little while ago I was looking out the window, we were passing over Hawaii, and we orbit 16 times a day. We see 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets from orbit and this entire process is very amazing. In this orbit, at this fast speed, we are moving at the speed of about 28000 kilometers per hour

while talking to you and this speed is not known because we are inside, but somewhere this speed definitely shows at what speed our country is progressing.

Prime Minister: Great!

Shubhanshu Shukla: At this moment we have reached here and now we have to go further from here.

Prime Minister: Well, what was the first thought that came to your mind after seeing the vastness of space?

Shubhanshu Shukla: Prime Minister ji, to be honest, when we reached the orbit for the first time, reached space, the first view was of the Earth and the first thought after seeing the Earth from outside, the first thought that came to mind was that the Earth looks completely uniform, I mean no boundary line, no border is visible from outside. And the second thing that was very noticeable was when we saw India for the first time, when we study India on the map, we see how big the size of other countries is, what is our size, we see that on the map, but it is not correct because we draw a 3D object in 2D, that is, on paper. India really looks very grand, looks very big. It is much bigger than what we see on the map and the feeling of oneness, the feeling of oneness of the earth, which is also our motto that unity in diversity, its importance is understood in such a way when seen from outside that it seems that no border exists, no state exists, no countries exist, finally we all are a part of humanity and the earth is our home and all of us are its citizens.

Prime Minister: Shubhanshu, you are the first Indian to go to the space station. You have worked very hard. You have gone through a long training. Now you are in a real situation, you are actually in space, how different are the conditions there? How are you adapting?

Shubhanshu Shukla: Everything is different here Prime Minister Ji, we did training for the last one year, I knew about all the systems, I knew about all the processes, I knew about the experiments. But as soon as I came here, suddenly everything changed, because our body gets so used to living in gravity that everything is decided by it, but after coming here, since gravity is microgravity and is absent, even small things become very difficult. Right now, while talking to you, I have tied my legs, otherwise I would go up and the mike too, these are small things, that is, even if I leave it like this, it keeps floating like this. Drinking water, walking, sleeping is a big challenge, you can sleep on the roof, you can sleep on the walls, you can sleep on the ground.

So, Prime Minister Ji, everything happens, the training is good, but the environment changes, so it takes a day or two to get used to it, but then it becomes fine, then it becomes normal.

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Prime Minister: Shubh, India's strength lies in both science and spirituality. You are on a space journey, but the journey of India must also be going on. India must be running inside you. Do you get the benefit of meditation and mindfulness in that environment?

Shubhanshu Shukla: Yes, Prime Minister Ji, I completely agree. I believe that India is already running and this mission is just the first step of that big race and we are definitely moving ahead and we will have our own stations in space and many people will reach there and mindfulness also makes a lot of difference. There are many situations during normal training or even during launch, which are very stressful and with mindfulness you are able to keep yourself calm in those situations and if you keep yourself calm, you are able to take good decisions. It is said that no one can eat while running, so the calmer you remain, the better you will be able to take decisions. So, I think mindfulness plays a very important role in these things, so if both things are practiced together, then in such a challenging environment or challenging atmosphere, I think it will be very useful and will help people adapt very quickly.

Prime Minister: You are doing many experiments in space. Is there any experiment that will benefit the agriculture or health sector in the future?

Shubhanshu Shukla: Yes, Prime Minister Ji, I can say with great pride that for the first time Indian scientists have designed 7 unique experiments, which I have brought with me to the station and the first experiment that I am going to do, which is scheduled today, is on Stem

Cells. So, what happens on going to space is that because gravity is absent, the load goes away and hence muscle loss occurs. So, my experiment is looking at whether we can stop or delay this muscle loss by giving some supplement. It has a direct implication on Earth too that these supplements can be used on people who suffer muscle loss due to old age. So, I think it can definitely be used there. Along with this, the other experiment is on the growth of microalgae. These microalgae are very small but very nutritious, so if we can see their growth here and invent a process so that we can grow them in large numbers and provide nutrition, then somewhere it will be very useful for food security on earth. The biggest advantage of space is that the process here happens very quickly. So, we do not need to wait for months or years, so the results that we get here can be used by us and…

Prime Minister: Shubhanshu, after the success of Chandrayaan, a new interest in science was born among the children and youth of the country, the passion to explore space increased. Now this historic journey of yours is further strengthening that resolve. Today children do not just look at the sky, they think, I too can reach there. This thinking, this feeling is the real foundation of our future space missions. What message would you give to the young generation of India?

Shubhanshu Shukla: Prime Minister Ji, if I want to give a message to our young generation today, then first of all I will tell you that in the direction in which India is moving, we have seen very bold and very high dreams and to fulfil those dreams, we need all of you, so to fulfil that need, I would say that there is no one path to success that sometimes you take one path, sometimes someone takes the other path, but one thing that is common in every path is that you should never give up trying, Never Stop Trying. If you adopt this basic mantra that no matter what path you are on, where you are, but you will never give up, then success may come today or tomorrow, but it will definitely come.

Prime Minister: I am sure that the youth of the country will like these words of yours and you know me very well. Whenever I talk to anyone, I always give them homework. We have to take Mission Gaganyaan forward, we have to build our own space station, and also have to land Indian astronauts on the moon. Your experiences will be very useful in all these missions. I am sure you must be recording your experiences there.

Shubhanshu Shukla: Yes, Prime Minister Ji, absolutely, while undergoing the training and experiencing this entire mission, the lessons that I have received, the learnings that I have gained, I am absorbing them all like a sponge and I am sure that all these things will prove to be very valuable, very important for us when I come back and we will be able to apply these lessons effectively in our missions and complete them as quickly as possible. Because my friends who had come with me, somewhere they also asked me when we can go on Gaganyaan, which I felt very happy to hear and I said that soon. So, I think that this dream will be fulfilled very soon and the lessons that I am learning here; after coming back, I will try to apply them 100% in my mission and complete it as soon as possible.

Prime Minister: Shubhanshu, I am sure that this message of yours will inspire and when we met before you left, I also got the opportunity to meet your family members and I saw that all your family members are equally emotional and full of enthusiasm. Shubhanshu, today I really enjoyed talking to you. I know you have a lot of work and you have to work at a speed of 28000 kilometers, so I will not take much of your time. Today I can say with confidence that this is the first chapter of the success of India's Gaganyaan mission. This historic journey of yours is not just limited to space, it will give speed and new strength to our journey towards developed India. India is going to open the doors of new possibilities of space for the world. Now India will not just fly, it will prepare the platform for new flights in future. I want to hear something more in your mind because I do not want to ask a question. If you express the feelings that are in your mind, the countrymen will listen, the young generation of the country will listen, then I myself am very eager to hear some more things from you.

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Shubhanshu Shukla: Thank you, Prime Minister Ji! This entire journey of coming to space and training here and reaching here, I have learnt a lot in this, Prime Minister Ji, but after reaching

here, it is a personal accomplishment for me, but somewhere I feel that this is a very big collective achievement for our country. And I want to give a message to every child who is watching this, to every youth who is watching this and that is that if you try and you make your future well, then your future will be good and the future of our country will be good and keep only one thing in your mind, that sky has never the limits, neither for you, nor for me, nor for India and if you always keep this thing in your mind, then you will move ahead, you will illuminate your future and you will illuminate the future of our country and this is my message, Prime Minister and I am very, very emotional and very happy that I got the opportunity to talk to you today and through you to talk to 140 crore countrymen, who are able to see, this tricolor that you are seeing behind me, it was not here, before yesterday when I came here, then we have hoisted it here for the first time. So, this makes me very emotional and I feel very good to see that India has reached the International Space Station today.

Prime Minister: Shubhanshu, I wish you and all your colleagues the very best for the success of your mission. Shubhanshu, we are all waiting for your return. Take care of yourself, keep raising the respect of Maa Bharati. Many many best wishes, best wishes of 140 crore countrymen and I thank you very much for working so hard and reaching this height. Bharat Mata ki Jai!

Shubhanshu Shukla: Thank you, Prime Minister, thank you and thank you to all 140 crore countrymen and Bharat Mata Ki Jai for everyone from space!