Chief Ministers and senior BJP leaders across several states on Sunday listened to the 130th episode of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, as the Prime Minister used the first edition of the year to reflect on democracy, development, culture and innovation.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami listened to the programme at the Doon Library in Dehradun, while Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi tuned in from Bhubaneswar. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai heard the address in Jashpur, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma in Jaipur, and the Tripura Chief Minister in Bishramganj.
In West Bengal, BJP state president and MP Samik Bhattacharya listened to the programme in Kolkata.
In Uttar Pradesh, BJP national president Nitin Nabin and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath listened to Mann Ki Baat in Mathura. Nabin, who is on a day-long visit to Mathura-Vrindavan, offered prayers at the Shri Banke Bihari Temple and said the party would work to return to power in the state with a renewed focus on development and public trust. He is also scheduled to visit the residence of BJP MLA Rajesh Chaudhary to offer condolences following the death of the MLA’s mother.
Addressing the nation, Prime Minister Modi highlighted the significance of Republic Day and National Voters’ Day, calling the voter the “soul of democracy” and urging young citizens to register to vote on turning 18. He also praised grassroots election workers for strengthening democratic processes and later reiterated the message in a post on X.
Marking the 10th anniversary of the Startup India initiative, the Prime Minister said India had grown from fewer than 500 startups in 2016 to over 2 lakh recognised entities today, emerging as the world’s third-largest start-up ecosystem. He stressed that quality must become the defining identity of Indian products, reiterating his vision of “zero defect, zero effect” for a Viksit Bharat.
The Prime Minister also spoke about community-led initiatives, citing the revival of the Tamsa River in Uttar Pradesh, water conservation efforts in drought-hit Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh, and large-scale tree plantation drives in West Bengal. He praised individual contributions, including a forest guard in Madhya Pradesh who documented medicinal plants and a citizen-led greening effort in Cooch Behar.
On culture, PM Modi highlighted the growing trend of ‘bhajan clubbing’ among youth, saying it reflected a blend of tradition and modern lifestyles. He also lauded the Indian diaspora, particularly in Malaysia, for preserving Indian languages and culture, noting the presence of over 500 Tamil schools and community-led cultural initiatives.
The Prime Minister announced that the India AI Impact Summit will be held next month, bringing together global experts to showcase India’s progress in artificial intelligence. He said innovation, quality and public participation would remain central to India’s development journey in the years ahead.
