Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded the 'Ayushman Bharat" scheme which, he said, is "proving to be a boon for the poor", emphasised on innovation and "can do spirit" and praised the armed forces saying the 50th-anniversary celebrations of India's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 war will take place next month.
Modi also cautioned against being casual about Civid19 behaviour saying the pandemic has yet not made itrs exit from the country.
Addressing his 83rd episode of monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' radio programme, Modi said, "The country celebrates Navy Day and Armed Forces Flag Day in December. We all know that on December 16, the country is celebrating the golden jubilee year of the 1971 war."
"On this occasion, I want to remember our armed forces, our soldiers. Especially, the brave mothers who gave birth to these heroes," he said
He also highlighted the significance of places like Jhansi and Bundelkhand in India's freedom struggle. "Heroes like Rani Laxmibai and Jhalkari Bai belong from here. These regions have also gifted us Khel Ratna like Major Dhyan Chand," said the Prime Minister.
In his second last radio address of 2021 ,Modi asked youth to innovate and show determination an "Can Do spirit" to achieve their goals and setting up startups.
" In every country with a large youth population, three aspects matter a lot. Sometimes, it becomes the true identity of the youth. The first aspect is - ideas and innovation. The second is the spirit of taking risks and the third is the ‘Can Do’ spirit. This is the era of start-ups and it is also true that today India is leading the way in the world of start-ups", he said.
Modi interacted with people who benefited with the 'Ayushman Bharat' health scheme and heard how they cured themselves of heart and knee ailments without spending any money.
" 'Ayushman Bharat scheme is the biggest boon to poor and their well-being", Modi said.
He asked people to connect with nature and cited examples as to how people pioneered, resurrected and preserved it in their respective areas.
"There was a river in Jalaun called Noon river. Gradually, the river came to brink of extinction. This created a crisis for farmers in the area. The people of Jalaun this year formed a committee and revived the river. This is an example of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ , he said
The PM said "When we conserve nature, it blesses us with sustenance and protection in return.”
BJP president J P Nadda who listened the radio talk, described 'Mann ki Baat' as a "unique non-political address" by the Prime Minister and said it inspires everybody. In the BJP National Executive this month, Nadda had asked party workers to institutionalise the ' Mann ki baat' programme at booth levels across the country.