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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been emphasising Atmanirbharta in defence production after taking over in 2014, which has enabled India to successfully carry out Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.

“It was completely opposite to a government which said that it didn't have the money to spend on defence procurement,” she said in an oblique reference to the erstwhile Congress-led UPA government.

The Finance Minister was addressing the National Commemorative Seminar on 60 Years of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya's Integral Humanism Lectures here.

She highlighted that providing for national defence was one of the main priorities for a nation, as per Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, and this policy was also being implemented by the PM Modi government.

The Finance Minister said that Deendayal Upadhyay insisted on incorporating the 7 'M's into the policy making for employment generation with a view of building 'Bharatiya Technology'.

“These are man, money, material, management, motive, market and machine,” she said.

She further stated that Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya wanted that while planning, the person at the very bottom of the system should be kept in mind so that he can be uplifted while keeping his dignity intact.

“Whether it was former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee or whether it is the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, every government policy under these two eminent leaders has been very reflective of Integral Humanism,” Sitharaman said.

“If you lift everyone out of poverty, give them employment, give them a certain standard of living and give them access to fundamental basic necessities, as a result, they are above where they were before, and they have greater access to the country's productive capacities. Then, the country's production levels also increase,” she added.

The Finance Minister also highlighted that “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayaas is exactly what you do when you believe in Antyodaya.”