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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said teachers generally give homework to their students but he wants to give one "homework" to teachers for a change, that is to lead campaigns along with their students to promote swadeshi products and give an impetus to "Make in India" and "vocal for local". In an interaction with National Teacher awardees, he asked schools to celebrate such occasions as 'Swadeshi Day' or 'Swadeshi Week' when students would bring local products from their homes and share their stories. "Today I am doing the task that you always do, giving homework. I am giving you a homework to lead campaigns to promote swadeshi products. I am confident that you will complete it. "Students should be encouraged to get swadeshi products from home, and there should be discussions on that. Students can also participate in marches in villages carrying placards rooting for swadeshi products. Such activities will create an atmosphere and encourage the citizens to use Made in India
Sounding a note of caution, former RBI Governor D Subbarao on Monday said that 'Make in India' should not transform into 'Make all that India needs' as it would hurt investments in the country and impact productivity. Subbarao further said the punitive 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports imposed by the US will raise the costs of Indian goods in the most important overseas market, which is America. "If 'Make in India' degenerates into 'Make all that India needs', we risk losing the chance to attract investment away from China. "The tariffs remind us that openness, not isolation, is the path to sustainable growth," he told PTI in an interview. Subbarao said the success of 'Make in India' hinges on competitiveness, not protectionism. "Atmanirbhar Bharat, an aspiration that the Prime Minister reiterated in his Independence Day speech, must mean strategic self-reliance in sensitive areas like defence and energy, not blanket self-sufficiency," he said. According to him, 'Make in Indi