‘Mission Gaganyaan will prove to be a milestone for New India’: PM on Mann Ki Baat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the 61st edition of his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’.

The first address of PM Modi’s monthly programme in 2020 is being aired on Republic Day.

The timing of the programme has been changed for today from 11 am to avoid a clash with the Republic Day function in the morning.

Follow highlights here:

•Mission Gaganyaan will prove to be a milestone for New India.

•Assam, which hosted the grand ‘Khelo India’ games successfully, was witness to another great achievement. 644 militants pertaining to 8 different militant groups, surrendered with their weapons.

•Finally the new decade of 2020, has brought a new ray of hope in the life of the Bru-Reang community. Considering everyone as its own and living with the spirit of togetherness is embedded in the ethos of this holy land. I would once again like to congratulate the residents of these states and the Bru-Reang community.

•A significant agreement was signed in Delhi. With it, the close-to-25-year-old Bru-Reang refugee crisis, a painful chapter, was put to an end forever and ever. Due to the busy routine and festive season, you might not have been able to learn about this historic agreement in detail. So I thought, I should definitely discuss this in Mann ki Baat. This problem pertains to the 90s.

•A couple of weeks ago, different parts of India were celebrating a variety of festivals. When Punjab was spreading the warmth of enthusiasm by celebrating Lohri, sisters and borthers of Tamil Nadu were celebrating Pongal and birth anniversary of Thiruvalluvar. Assam was aglow with the fascinating lustre of Bihu. In Gujarat, everywhere you could see kites in the sky and the pomp of Uttaraayan. In such an atmosphere, Delhi witnessed a historic event.

•These days, I see that many events pertaining to ‘Fit India’ are being organised. On January 18, our young friends organized a Cyclothon throughout the country. Millions of countrymen participating in this Cyclothon spread the message of fitness. Efforts to ensure that our New India remains fit that are evident at every level fills us with fervour and enthusiasm. The ‘Fit India School’ campaign, which started in November last year, is also bringing results. I have been told that till date, more than 65,000 schools have obtained the ‘Fit India School’ certificates through online registration.

•The exam season has arrived, and obviously all the students will be busy giving final shape to their preparations.

•Next month, the first edition of ‘Khelo India University Games’ is being organized in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, Odisha from 22nd February to 1st March. And more than 3000 players have qualified for participating in these games.

•We all know that National Games is an arena, where players get a chance to display their passion besides becoming acquainted with culture of other states.Therefore, we have decided to organize ‘Khelo India University Games’ every year on the pattern of ‘Khelo India Youth Games”

•I wish all the players a bright future. Along with this, I also, on behalf of all our countrymen, bow in honouring those parents, who did not permit poverty to become a hurdle for the future of their children.

•The never say die story of Kareena Shankta of Mumbai inspires everyone.

•Somewhat similar is the story of Yogananthan of Tamil Nadu which fills you with great pride! Yogananthan makes beedis in Tamil Nadu, but his daughter Purnashree won everyone’s heart by bagging the Gold Medal in Weight Lifting. If I now take the name of David Beckham, you will think whether I’m referring to the legendary International Footballer. But now we also have a David Beckham amidst us and he has won a gold medal at the Youth Games in Guwahati. That too in the 200-meter Sprint event in Cycling!”

•The stories of the patience and determination of these children who participated in ‘Khelo India Games’ as well as their parents will inspire every Indian. Now take the example of Purnima Mandal of Guwahati, a sanitation worker in Guwahati Municipal Corporation! But whereas her daughter Malvika showed her mettle in football, one of her sons Sujit represented Assam in Kho-Kho, while the other son Pradeep did in hockey.

•I along with all the winners, congratulate all the participants. I also thank all the people, coaches and technical officers associated with ‘Khelo India Games’ for organising them successfully. It is very pleasant for all of us to learn that the participation of athletes in ‘Khelo India Games’ is on the upsurge year after year. And this also tells you about the increasing inclination towards sports in our school children. Not only this, in just three years, through ‘Khelo India Games’, thirty-two hundred gifted children have emerged on the sporting horizon! Many of these children grew up amidst dearth and poverty.

•Today the entire country is eager to hear similar accomplishments of our Jal Shakti champions. On 22nd January, the third ‘Khelo India Games’ concluded in Guwahati. These games had around 6 thousand players from different states participating.

•A very innovative idea of harnessing a borewell for rainwater harvesting sprung up from Tamilnadu. The country is replete with innumerable such stories, of water conservation, lending more strength to the resolves of New India.

•The best part is that in this campaign, people from all strata of society contributed wholeheartedly. Take for instance Jalore district in Rajasthan. A similar story comes across from Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh. Village Suniyakot along the Almora-Haldwani highway in Uttarakhand has also emerged as a similar example of public participation.

•We touched upon the Mann K Baat Charter. The ethos of public participation, besides in the area of sanitation, is rising rapidly on another front… and that is water conservation.

•When I was glancing through this ‘Mann Ki Baat Charter’, I was taken aback at the magnitude of its contents… a multitude of hash tags. And, of course, we have striven together on myriad endeavours. Shailesh ji, you must have realized after going through this Mann Ki Baat Charter that the list is indeed long!

•I have received a lovely letter, written by Shriman Shailesh from Bihar. In fact, he no longer stays in Bihar. He says, he stays in Delhi, working for an NGO. Well, Shailesh ji, heartiest congratulations and many good wishes to you. The Mann Ki Baat Charter in connection with your New Year resolution is very innovative. I shall certainly send it back to you, along with my best wishes inscribed.

•In a likewise quest to seek answers, the caravan of Mann Ki Baat progresses with a few appeals, some invocations and a lot of resolves to do something.

•We have come together, once again, on the dais of Mann Ki Baat .This is to discuss newer subjects; to celebrate the latest achievements of our countrymen; in fact, to celebrate India.

•Today is the 26th of January. This time, it came across as appropriate to change the broadcast time of Mann Ki Baat, on account of the Republic Day Celebrations. And that is why I am reaching out to you this evening through Mann Ki Baat, having thought of a separate time slot.