New Delhi [India], July 21 (ANI): At the Guru Samman and felicitation programme for new entrants in Civil Services by Samkalp Foundation, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar explained that when the government says that they have provided four crore houses, they have covered an equivalent of the entire population of Japan.

Jaishankar said that the entrants must spread awareness on how they can take the development to the next level.

In his address, Jaishankar said, 'When we say that we have provided four crore houses under Aawas Yojana, it means that we have covered the entire population of Japan in the last decade. If you look at the statistics of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna, more people than the population of entire Europe and America get nutrition support every month... Today's India builds seven new airports every year. Today's India opens 1-2 new metro systems every year. Today's India lays 12 kilometres of railway track every day. Every day, it builds 28 kilometres of highways. So when you give these figures of change and we are living our lives amidst this change, then we should be excited about it, we should be proud of it, we should also be aware of how we can take it forward and your generation will take it to the next level.'

Jaishankar reminisced about his Civil Services interview day, which coincided with a historic moment in India's history - the day the Emergency was revoked, March 21, 1977. He highlighted that the core of their profession lies in serving the nation.

Recalling his own Civil Services interview, Jaishankar said, 'My interview was on March 21, 1977. That was the day the Emergency was revoked. I go in for an interview at Shahjahan Road, the first person that morning.'

'Looking ahead to India's growth, Jaishankar said, 'We say today that by 2030, India will be the third largest economy. By 2047, we will be closing the gap between 3 and 2...' He encouraged the young civil servants to think about their contributions to India's development, saying, 'I want you to think 20 years ahead. I want you to think about what your contribution to Viksit Bharat will be when we move towards it.'

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Emphasising the importance of service, Jaishankar added, 'There can be nothing greater than serving your nation. Whether you enter the Indian Foreign Service, the Indian Railway Service, Indian Police Service, or the Indian Revenue Service, the important word is Service...' (ANI)