Mann Ki Baat: PM highlights public health gains, grassroots change, dwells on Emergency anniversary

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today highlighted India’s public health milestones, growing grassroots participation and women-led development efforts, while reflecting upon the 50th anniversary of the Emergency.

In the 123rd edition of his monthly talk show Mann ki Baat, PM Modi recalled the nationwide enthusiasm surrounding the 10th International Yoga Day, observed on June 21. He noted in detail the wide-scale participation across the country and abroad, with the headline events in Visakhapatnam witnessing three lakh people perform yoga, and 2,000 tribal students conducting 108 Surya Namaskars.

Similar events were held in Telangana (featuring 3,000 Divyang participants), on the Chenab Bridge in J&K, aboard Indian Naval ships, and in cities across the world including New York and Paris, Modi said while stressing that “this time the theme was also very special, 'Yoga for One Earth, One Health'. This is not just a slogan; it is a direction which makes us realize the essence of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. I am sure, the grandeur of this year's Yoga Day will certainly inspire more and more people to adopt yoga.”

He lauded the World Health Organisation’s recent declaration of India as Trachoma-free, attributing the achievement to improved sanitation and access to clean drinking water under initiatives such as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Jal Jeevan Mission.

He also cited an ILO (International Labour Organisation) report which states that over 64% of India’s population now benefits from some form of social protection, up from fewer than 25 crore beneficiaries in 2015. Nearly 95 crore people are now covered by welfare schemes — a figure the PM described as indicative of saturation-based governance.

Referring to women-led Self Help Groups (SHGs) in Telangana, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh, the Prime Minister commended grassroots entrepreneurship and health awareness efforts, such as millet-based products and low-cost sanitary pads.

Marking 50 years since the imposition of the Emergency (1975–77), Modi played archival audio clips of former PM Morarji Desai, Babu Jagjivan Ram, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, describing the period as one of repression. He recalled the suspension of civil liberties, arrests under MISA, media censorship and judicial curbs, and lauded the people’s resistance that led to the restoration of democracy.

“We countrymen have observed the 'Samvidhan Hatya Diwas'. We should always remember all those people who fought the Emergency with fortitude. This inspires us to remain constantly vigilant to keep our Constitution strong and enduring,” he added.

Other segments highlighted the Bodoland CEM Football Cup in Assam as he talked about footballers like Halicharan Narzary and Durga Boro who were mentioned as symbols of youth aspiration and transformation in a region once marked by conflict.

Referring to young footballers from Bodoland who have risen to national prominence despite limited resources, the PM noted that their journeys were marked by perseverance and resilience. “Many of them practised with limited resources; many forged their way through difficult circumstances, and today many young children of the country kickstart their dreams, inspired by their names,” he said.

Emphasising the importance of fitness and well-being, Modi reiterated one of his earlier suggestions for tackling rising obesity by reducing oil consumption by 10% in daily diets. “When you’re fit, you will be more super hit in life,” he remarked, highlighting concerns over lifestyle-related health issues.

The PM also touched upon the spiritual and community dimensions of religious yatras, referring to the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, the Amarnath Yatra from July 3, and the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath, all of which he framed as symbols of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’.

Reflecting on the overwhelming response in Vietnam to the display of Buddha’s sacred relics from Nagarjunakonda (Andhra Pradesh), which drew 1.5 crore visitors across nine locations, he described it as an example of India’s cultural and spiritual diplomacy, and urged citizens to visit Buddhist heritage sites within the country.

Praising environmental efforts across India from Gujarat to Maharashtra, the PM mentioned Pune’s Ramesh Kharmale, who spends weekends planting trees and digging trenches on the Junnar hills. He also referred to the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s “Mission for Million Trees”, including a ‘Sindoor Van’ to honour martyrs of Operation Sindoor.

In Maharashtra, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district’s Patoda village, a Carbon neutral panchayat with zero littering, wastewater treatment, and eco-friendly cremation practices also found mention in the PM’s radio speech with listeners being urged to join campaigns like “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam”, which promotes tree plantation in a parent’s name.

Modi noted that July 1 marks Doctors’ Day and Chartered Accountants’ Day, hailing doctors as guardians of health and CAs as stewards of India’s economic life.