Eight-fold rise in per capita income needed to realise 'Vikshit Bharat' goal: Dhankhar

Motihari: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday asserted that an eight-fold rise in per capita income needs to be achieved to realise the goal of "Viksit Bharat" (developed India) by the year 2047.

Addressing the second convocation ceremony of Mahatma Gandhi Central University in Bihar's Motihari, he also expressed hope that the country, which was currently the "fifth largest economy" in the world, would "soon leave Germany and Japan behind".

Lavishing praise on the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, without taking any names, Dhankhar said, "The last 10 years have been marked by eradication of a culture of corruption and middlemen seem to have been eliminated".

"The world looks at us with surprise as we keep marching towards getting our due place on the global stage. We are the fifth largest economy as of now but things are looking up and soon we will leave Germany and Japan behind," said the Vice President.

He was speaking in presence of Bihar Governor Rajendra Arlekar and local MP and former union minister Radha Mohan Singh.

Dhankhar also pointed out that the nation needs to cover a lot of ground if the goal of "Viksit Bharat" is realized by the time 100 years of Independence is celebrated in 2047.

"I am not likely to live to see that day", said the 74-year-old Vice President, adding: "The onus is on young people like the students present here. We must strive to raise the per capita income to eight times of what it is today. This would require our youth to make sacrifices." Dhankhar also spoke of the progress made in Bihar under the Chief Ministership of Nitish Kumar, who was not present on the occasion.

Without mentioning the JD(U) supremo by name, the Vice President said, "I was an MP when your current CM was a Union minister. So much has been achieved in the state under his stewardship. He has drawn lessons from our past in which we saw grim episodes like the country's gold reserves being pledged".

The allusion was to the Prime Ministership of late Chandra Shekhar in 1990 when, in the wake of a severe financial crisis, the Reserve Bank of India had to pledge several tonnes of gold with foreign banks to raise loans.

Earlier, the Vice President planted a sapling in memory of his deceased mother as part of "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam (One tree for mother)" drive.

At the convocation ceremony, he said, "People must not be sceptical of the impact their individual efforts could have. Consider this Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam campaign and imagine how much difference it could make to our environment if all 140 crore people plant just one sapling each".