PM Modi urges first-time voters to exercise their franchise in record numbers in Lok Sabha elections
Feb 25, 2024Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged the first time voters to exercise their franchise in record numbers in upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Addressing the nation in his Mann Ki Baat programme on Akashvani this morning, Mr Modi said that the more youth participate in the electoral process, the more beneficial its results will be for the country. He was happy to note that the Election Commission has started a campaign - ‘Mera Pehla Vote - Desh Ke Liye’. Through this, first time voters have been requested to vote in maximum numbers.
Mr Modi said India is proud of its youth which is full of enthusiasm and energy. He pointed out that they are getting a chance to elect a member for the 18th Lok Sabha upon turning 18. He said this means that the 18th Lok Sabha will also be a symbol of youth aspiration. He added that the youth should not only be part of political activities, but also remain aware of the discussions and debates during this period.
Prime Minister also asked influencers of the country, including from the world of sports, film industry, literatur and social media, to actively participate in this campaign and motivate the first time voters.
Mr Modi said the atmosphere of Lok Sabha elections is all pervasive in the country. He spoke about the possibility of the Code of Conduct being in place in March. He highlighted that there has only been mention of the collective power of the country in the last 110 episodes, and he termed it as a huge success for Mann Ki Baat. He emphasized that Mann Ki Baat is a programme prepared by the people, for the people, through the people. He informed that adhering to political decorum, Mann Ki Baat will not be broadcast for the next three months in view of Lok Sabha elections.
Mr Modi said that he will next interact with people in Mann Ki Baat in the 111th episode. He however said that even though ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is undergoing a break for three months, people should keep posting about the achievements of the society and the country on social media with the hashtag ‘Mann Ki Baat’. He also urged listeners to share short videos in the form of YouTube Shorts from earlier episodes of 'Mann Ki Baat'.
The International Women’s Day will be celebrated on the 8th of March. Prime Minister Modi said this special day is an opportunity to salute the contribution of women power in the developmental journey of the country. He quoted Mahakavi Bharatiyar and said that the world will prosper only when women get equal opportunities. Mr Modi asserted that woman power of India is touching new heights of progress in every field. He said ‘Namo Drone Didi’ is the talk of the town today. In today’s Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister spoke to Namo Drone Didi Sunita from Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh. Sunita shared her journey of becoming a Drone Didi with the Prime Minister and listeners. She shared that she underwent training in Phulpur IFFCO company in Allahabad. She said farmers will benefit with the use of drones. She called upon other women to come forward to become Drone Didi like her. Mr Modi congratulated her and observed that ‘Namo Drone Didi’ is becoming a great means to modernize agriculture in the country.
Prime Minister noted that another area where women have demonstrated their leadership abilities is natural farming, water conservation and sanitation. He expressed satisfaction that women are now extending natural farming in every corner of the country. He pointed out that water committees have had a big role to play in Jal Jeevan Mission and the leadership of these water committees lies only with women.
Mr Modi spoke to Kalyani Prafulla Patil from Maharashtra about her efforts regarding water conservation. Kalyani shared about how rain water is collected in her village through rainwater harvesting at government buildings like primary school, Anganwadi, and Gram Panchayat building. She informed the listeners that they have made 20 recharge shafts in their village and secured sanction for 50 recharge shafts.
Mr Modi also touched upon the subject of wildlife conservation in this episode of Mann Ki Baat. World Wildlife Day will be observed on the 3rd of March. This day is celebrated with the aim of spreading awareness about the conservation of wild animals. Mr Modi said that this year, Digital Innovation has been kept paramount in the theme of the World WildLife Day. He was pleased to noted that technology is being used extensively for the conservation of wildlife in different parts of the country.
Prime Minister said that the number of tigers has increased in the last few years through the efforts of the government. The number of tigers in the Tiger Reserve of Chandrapur, Maharashtra has risen to more than 250. Mr Modi said the help of Artificial Intelligence is being taken to reduce conflict between humans and tigers in Chandrapur district. Cameras have been installed on the border of the villages and the forest. Local people get alerts on their mobile whenever a tiger comes near a village with the help of AI. Prime Minister hailed this system for providing a lot of convenience to the people in the 13 villages around this Tiger Reserve.
Mr Modi highlighted that young entrepreneurs are also working on new innovations for wildlife conservation and eco-tourism. In Roorkee, Uttarakhand, Rotor Precision Group in collaboration with Wildlife Institute of India has developed a drone which is helping to keep an eye on the crocodiles in the Ken River. Prime Minister also cited the example of a Bengaluru company that has prepared an app named ‘Bagheera’ and ‘Garuda’.
With the Bagheera App, the speed of the vehicle and other activities can be monitored during a jungle safari. It is being used in many Tiger Reserves of the country. The Garuda App, based on Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things, provides real time alerts on connecting it to any CCTV.
Prime Minister emphasized that the biodiversity of the country is becoming richer with every such effort towards conservation of wildlife. He praised the tribal families living in Khatkali village near Melghat Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra for living in harmony with nature. The local people there have converted their houses into homestays with the help of the government which is becoming a big source of income for them. Mr Modi mentioned Prakash Jamkar of Korku tribe living in the village who has built a seven-room homestay on his two hectare land. His family makes arrangements for food and drink for the tourists staying at his place. Along with medicinal plants, he has also planted mango and coffee trees around his house.
Mr Modi also spoke about goat rearing which has become a major means of livelihood for people. He said that in Odisha’s Kalahandi, goat rearing has also raised the standard of living of local people. He lauded the effort of management professionals Jayanti Mahapatra and her husband Biren Sahu, who established Manikastu Agro and started working with the farmers. Jayanti and Biren have also opened a Manikastu Goat Bank and are promoting goat rearing at the community level. Mr Modi said more than one thousand farmers from 50 villages are associated with this couple today.
Prime Minister also lauded Bhim Singh Bhavesh of Bhojpur in Bihar for his work among the people of the Musahar caste. He said Musahar has been a very deprived community in Bihar and Bhim Singh Bhavesh has focused on the education of the children of this community. Bhim Singh Bhavesh has enrolled about eight thousand children of Musahar caste in school. He has also built a big library, through which children are getting better facilities for education.
Prime Minister said there are many people like Bhim Singh Bhavesh in different parts of the country, who are engaged in many such noble endeavors in the society. He added that if every citizen performs his or her duties as a responsible citizen, it will be helpful in building a strong nation.
Mr Modi spoke about the diversity of India, and laid emphasis on use of mother tongue. He cited the example of Mohammad Manshah of Ganderbal in Jammu and Kashmir who has been engaged in efforts to preserve the Gojri language for the last three decades. Prime Minister mentioned Banwang Losu of Tirap in Arunachal Pradesh who has contributed in the spread of Wancho language so that it can be saved from extinction.
Prime Minister said there are many people who are engaged in preserving their culture and language through songs and dances. He found the life of Venkappa Ambaji Sugetkar of Karnataka very inspiring. Sugatkar, a resident of Bagalkot, is a folk singer who has sung more than 1000 Gondhali songs and has also widely propagated stories in this language.
Mr Modi announced that the National Creators Award has been started in the country to honour the talent of content creators. He said that preparations are being made to honour change makers in different categories who are using technology to become effective voices of social change. The contest is running on MyGov. Mr Modi urged content creators to join the contest and the people to nominate their favorite content creators for the National Creators Award.
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