MEERUT, Feb. 23 -- Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday praised the Centre's push for large-scale infrastructure development, saying India's rapid transformation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has earned global recognition while significantly improving citizens' ease of living. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Namo Bharat Rapid Rail and Meerut Metro services, the CM highlighted the country's expanding digital and physical infrastructure, noting that India now operates a digital public system serving nearly 1.4 billion people and processing close to 20 billion digital transactions every month. Yogi said more than 500 million digital health IDs have already been issued under the "One Health" initiative, enabling beneficiaries to access treatment under the Ayushman Bharat scheme seamlessly. Yogi credited the PM's regular monitoring of infrastructure projects for accelerating works worth Rs.85 lakh crore that had remained pending for decades. He emphasised that enhanced connectivity projects are reshaping regional mobility, noting that travel time between Delhi and Meerut has already dropped from four to five hours to about 45-50 minutes due to expressway expansion and will be further reduced to roughly 40-45 minutes with the rapid rail system. Citing international recognition, he referred to praise from French President Emmanuel Macron, saying global leaders have acknowledged India's success in using technology to deliver welfare benefits to the poor, farmers, and youth without discrimination. The CM also pointed to upcoming development initiatives such as a proposed sports university in Meerut, semiconductor projects in Gautam Buddh Nagar and the near completion of the Noida International Airport, calling them key pillars of the vision for a "Viksit Bharat." Welcoming the PM to Meerut, Yogi said the new transport infrastructure would accelerate economic growth and urban mobility across western Uttar Pradesh. Earlier in the day, PM Modi flagged off the Meerut Metro and Namo Bharat train from Shatabdi Nagar station, marking a major step toward high-speed intercity connectivity and faster intra-city transit in the region....