New Delhi, Aug. 14 -- Jawaharlal Nehru delivered his iconic 'Tryst with Destiny' speech on the midnight on August 14, 1947, addressing the Indian Constituent Assembly in New Delhi just before India officially gained independence from the British rule.

"At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom," Nehru said.

On 15 August next day, when India began its journey as an independent nation, it faced enormous challenges - widespread poverty, low literacy, poor health infrastructure, and a largely rural population.

Seventy-nine years later, India is the world's most populous country, one of the world's largest economies and a major digital and technological power. This eight-decade-long tran...