In his first Mann Ki Baat broadcast of 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised women’s roles in the Republic Day parade, in Indian sports, in self-help groups, and among Padma awardees. He also highlighted the completion of 75 years of Republic Days, the Constitution, and the Supreme Court.
On the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22, Mr. Modi said, “The occasion of pran pratishtha in Ayodhya seems to have bound crores of people of the country together with a common thread.”
‘Proud of women power’
“The most discussed element was seeing women power in the parade… When the women contingents of Central Security Forces and Delhi Police started marching on Kartavya Path, everyone was filled with pride,” the PM said. “On seeing the marching of the women’s band and seeing their tremendous coordination, people in the country and abroad were thrilled. This time, out of the 20 contingents that marched in the parade, 11 were of women,” he added.
He also noted that 13 women athletes have been honoured with the Arjuna Award this time.
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SHGs making bio fertilizer
Mr. Modi added that women’s self-help groups have expanded across the country, in their numbers and in the scope of their work. “That day is not far when you will see Namo Drone Didis helping in farming using drones in the fields in every village. I came to know about women preparing bio fertilizer and bio pesticide using local ingredients in Bahraich, U.P.,” he said.
“The women of Nibiya Begumpur village, associated with self-help groups, prepare bio-fertilizer by mixing cow dung, neem leaves and many types of medicinal plants. Similarly, these women also prepare an organic pesticide by preparing a paste of ginger, garlic, onion and chilli. These women together have formed an organisation named ‘Unnati Jaivik Ikai’. This organisation helps these women in preparing bio products. The demand for bio fertilizer and bio pesticide made by them is also continuously rising,” he added.
Mr. Modi said that more than 6,000 farmers from nearby villages were buying bio products from these women. Through this, the income of the women associated with these self-help groups has increased, and their financial condition has improved as well.
Women Padma awardees
Thirty of the Padma Award recipients are women, Mr. Modi said. “Somebody is providing an ambulance service, while another is arranging a roof over the head for the destitute. There are some who are engaged in nature conservation efforts by planting thousands of trees,” he said.
“There is also one who has worked for the conservation of more than 650 varieties of rice. There is one as well who is spreading awareness in the society for the prevention of drug and alcohol addiction. Many people are engaged in connecting people with self-help groups, especially the Nari Shakti campaign,” he added.
People even have a chance to nominate themselves now, he noted, adding that this was the reason why this year saw 28 times higher nominations in comparison to 2014.
Standardised Indian medicine
Mr. Modi also mentioned that the Ministry of AYUSH has categorised the data and terminology related to Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani medicine, with the help of the World Health Organization. “Through the efforts of both, the terminology related to disease and treatment in Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha medicine has been codified. With the help of this coding, all doctors will now write the same language on their prescriptions or slips,” he said.
One advantage of this is that if one goes to another doctor with that slip, the second doctor will get complete information about one’s illness and treatment, including one’s allergies, the medicines being taken, and the duration of the treatment, he added.
Radio alerts on elephant moves
A unique example of how much change the power of radio can bring about is being seen in Chhattisgarh, Mr. Modi said. For almost seven years, a popular programme, titled Hamar Hathi - Hamar Goth, has been broadcast each evening from four stations of Akashvani at Ambikapur, Raipur, Bilaspur, and Raigarh. People living in the forests of Chhattisgarh and its surrounding areas listen to this programme with great attention, said Mr. Modi, as it announces through which area of the forest a herd of elephants is passing.
“This information is very useful for the people here. As soon as people get information through radio about the arrival of a herd of elephants, they become alert. The danger of crossing the paths through which elephants pass is averted. On the one hand, this reduces the possibility of damage caused by elephant herds; on the other, it helps in gathering data about elephants. The use of this data will also help in the conservation of elephants in future,” he added.
Mr. Modi said that on January 29 at 11 a.m., he will participate in the seventh edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha. “This gives me an opportunity to interact with students, and I also try to mitigate their exam related stress. In the last seven years, Pariksha Pe Charcha has emerged as a very good medium to discuss various issues related to education and examinations,” he said. More than 2.25 crore students have registered for the event, in contrast to just 22,000 in 2018.
