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Text of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s address at the launch of Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana

Published By : Admin | October 13, 2014 | 14:00 IST

All the governments that have come to power in India since Independence have been working for rural development in their own ways. These efforts should continue relentlessly while adapting with time. Plans should be made according to changing times and the speed of change should gain pace in accordance with the pace of the world. This is an ever-continuing process. However it is important to introduce some new elements each time to speed up and enliven this process. 

Every State of India has at least 5 to 10 villages that it can be proud of. There is a different feeling when we enter such villages. If government planning creates these villages, then there should have been more of such villages. Since there are only a few, it means there is something extra, apart from government plans. This something extra is the soul of Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. 

Plans exist for all villages, but some villages progressed as there were some people in those villages with a different thought process. Some leaders who led differently to bring about these changes. It is not that there are no other better villages. There are. And they have been built by our people only. Need of the hour is to bring some changes in the decision making process and the beginning has to be made somewhere. 

Today is the birth anniversary of Jayaprakash Narayan Ji, a vibrant young force of freedom struggle. The way he led his life after independence keeping away from politics and dedicating himself to creative work alone, is a source of inspiration for all of us. There was always a shadow of Gandhiji and Vinobaji on his thoughts. Lohiaji was also an influence. He said that Gram Dharma is an important thing and till the time our villages don’t think or move as a society, Gram Dharma is not possible. And if Gram Dharma is possible then the village can choose its path to new heights. 

The Village was always present in Mahatma Gandhi’s life. Gandhi ji returned from abroad in 1915. Within two years he implemented what he had learnt in Champaran, Bihar, where he fought for the rights of people. It was done with people’s participation. The seeds of freedom struggle were sowed by Gandhi ji in villages only. Today is also the birth anniversary of Shri NanaJi Deshmukh - a close comrade of Jai Prakash Narayan ji. 

Nanaji dedicated himself to the development of JaiPrabha Nagar near Chitrakoot, which was named after Jai Prakash Narayan and his wife Prabha Devi. Based on the model of JaiPrabha Nagar, he worked to make rural life self-sufficient in many villages of Uttar Pradesh. 

Our former President Abdul Kalam ji visited these villages and mentioned them in many of his speeches. The point is, today we have to take the Adarsh Gram Yojana forward with our MPs’ guidance, MPs’ leadership and MPs’ efforts. For the time being, we have thought of a total of three villages in this term. One model village should be achieved by 2016 and based on that experience, two more model villages are to be achieved by 2019. Later, every year, one village can be done by a MP. We are almost 800 MPs and if we do three villages before 2019 then 2,500 villages will be covered. 

If the States also make schemes for their MLAs based on this scheme, then six-seven thousand more villages can be added. If a village in a block improves then it doesn’t stop there. It is adopted by nearby villages also. They also discuss what is being done and how it can be replicated. This can initiate a viral effect. That is why it is important how we lay its foundation. 

For a long time this debate has been going on in the country about whether development model should be top-to-bottom or bottom-to-top. Let the discussion go on. Academic discussions have their own importance. But the responsibility of doers is to do. We need to start somewhere. So let us sit at the bottom and look at one village in our constituency at least. 

Many people don’t understand the biggest benefit from this. Today an MP is engaged in tackling problems of the public in his constituency. Irrespective of the party, the MP is accountable and has to perform. However most of his or her time and energy is spent in immediate problems. Secondly, his/her energy and time is spent in getting work done from the government and officers. I can’t say whether I will be able to change this. What happens to MPLADS funds? Constituency people demand this or that. Then it is distributed, given to government officers with an instruction that it should please most of the village. Only small schemes are undertaken ultimately. 

This is the kind of work which, with focused activities, can make the MP feel that his / her name will be associated with the village for years to come. The village always remember that earlier the village was like this, and one MP came and changed all that. 

Today, there are many government schemes. An MP might be coming in touch with these schemes only in parts. What is the problem in uniting the streams of these different schemes? What are the shortcomings and what are the ways to improve? Once an MP starts discussing this in the village, many deficiencies of government system will be revealed. 

It is not a small risk that I have taken here. However, on the basis of my knowledge and experience, I can say that once an MP is associated with this, many problems will come to the fore. This will lead to a change in system. Then everybody will think that if we have changed one village, then we can do the same elsewhere also. What happens now a days? A scheme comes to a village. A water tank is dug at one place, tube-well at other place. If there is tube-well, there is no water tank and vice-versa. Expenditure is done but without outcome. That is why the MP is going to be involved in every activity of village life to bring the focus on the outcome. 

There is a flexibility in this programme to choose any village. If possible it should have a population of 3,000-5,000. This does not mean that smaller or bigger habitations are not be touched. This is flexible. But if approximately 3,000 to 5,000 population is there, then a system can be worked out. In hilly and tribal areas where such big villages are not there, the number should be between 1,000 to 3,000. 

Only one condition has been imposed by me. And that is that the MPs must not pick their own village, or village of their in-laws. Apart from this, choose any village. Even I have to select a village in Varanasi. A guideline has been brought out today. I will also go to Varanasi and talk to the people there, and after consultation, will select the village. 

One of the biggest problems for us has been that our development model has been supply-driven. A scheme has been prepared in Lucknow, Gandhi Nagar, or Delhi. The same is attempted to be injected. We want to shift this model from supply-driven to demand driven through Aadrash Gram. There should be an urge developed in the village itself. The villagers should themselves come out and tell us what they need. This scheme is not just to construct a bridge or a pond. 

Can a change be brought about in our today’s conditions or not? Someone please tell me that if there is a school, Panchayat Ghar, Temple, or a place of worship in the village, should not that be clean? Do we need a budget to tell us this? 

I have been lucky, not many people in political life may have been so lucky. I have travelled for 45 years. Must have stayed overnight in more than 400 districts of India. There must have been at least 5,000 villages outside Gujarat that I visited. Therefore, I understand these things from experience. We should create a confidence in the villages and make them committed to this. 

Please tell me, in a village of 3,000 to 5,000, how many deliveries take place in a year? Maximum 100. Out of these 50-60 women will be economically sound. 25-30 women will be such who will need the village’s support for nutrition. If this happens, the chances of malnutrition in the child and maternal mortality will be reduced drastically. 

If this was to be done by Government of India, then a Cabinet note would have been prepared, department’s comments would have been taken, tender would have been floated. And everyone knows what happens after the tender is floated. Then six months later, some breaking news would have come in newspapers. In this, no tender, budget, Cabinet or Minister is needed. People of the village will collectively decide that if 25 women are expecting and they are poor, then the village will take care of the extra nutritional food for three-four months. 

I say, friends, this is easy. All we need is to change our mind set. We need to unite people’s hearts. Normally MPs are engaged in political activities, but after this, when they will come to the village, there will be no political activities. It will be like family. Decisions will be taken sitting with the people of the villages. It will re-energise and unite the village. Problems will be solved. 

Currently, there is a mid-day meal scheme run by the government. It is a good thing, should be there. Often there are 80-100 families in the village who celebrate occasions like birthdays, death anniversaries of family elders etc. They should be contacted and be told that when such celebratory occasions come, they should come go to the school with family. They should bring some sweets to the school and sit with the students for the mid-day meal and share with them. This will lead to a good movement of social harmony. At the same time, this can also work as input to improve the quality of the mid-day meal. This doesn’t require any big scheme we can take this forward, can’t we? 

Government is planning to establish Gobar Gas Plants in villages. As you know some one or two persons avail it due to their capacity to get government money. But cow dung is not available. Then, in one or two years, the plant becomes a monument. How many monuments will you keep building? Now imagine, that there is a “Gobar Bank” of the village. The entire cow dung in the village can be deposited in such a bank and a common gas plant is built with this. Gas is supplied to the entire village. Our mothers and sisters suffer a lot due to smoke from the chulhas. I am seeing an opportunity which doesn’t involve expenditure. Those who would deposit the gobar will get the same amount during the agriculture season as fertilizer. This will also bring cleanliness in the village along with fertilizer and gas. Improvement in health parameters due to clean village will be an extra benefit. I say that we should take interest in creating such an atmosphere in the village. 

Sometimes I think, are we able to create an atmosphere where people can be proud of village? Unless we create such an atmosphere, change will not come. This is very important. Every village has its birthday, why should it not be celebrated like a festival when everybody will come together they will think about what can be done for the village? I think government schemes were always the foundation of Adarsh Gram Yojana. There is no change in that. But this is an experiment to fill the gaps. If I think that it is the ultimate solution, I will be disbelieving in the thinking power of humanity. No thinking is complete, every thinking moves towards completeness. Therefore I believe nothing is ultimate. Whatever has happened is good. Whatever is happening today is step forward. It will not work if we consider it a full stop. The point is that as per requirement, the government should have flexibility. It should not work by diktat, but it should facilitate. I say this with full faith that any MP will develop his or her village as a place of pilgrimage after 2016. He/She will tell his/her relatives that I have built a village, let’s go and see that. This is the satisfaction level that leads to solutions in the life of a person. 

Jai Prakash Narayan ji had said an important thing which, I believe, is inspiring even in these times. He said that democracy and politics cannot be separated. Politics is democracy’s second nature. This is important. We are fed up of dirty politics. Dirty politics gives a bad name to the entire political field. This or that party is not the issue. An atmosphere of trust has suffered. Jai Prakash Narayan ji said something very good. He said that freedom from politics is not the way. We should see how fast liberal and good politics takes the place of dirty politics. I believe that “Sansad Aadarsh Gram Yojna” is opening a new door of creative politics. 

Will I get votes in the village? Are the communities in the village my supporters? Am I on good terms with the local leaders in the village? We need to rise above all this and leave it all outside the village boundaries when we do this work. Here, the village is a community, a cohesive society. Can I be a facilitator or a catalytic agent to fulfil their dreams? Can I work as a friend with a feeling of oneness? 

When in 2016 this will be discussed in the Parliament, MPs will speak in the Parliament on the basis of the experience. Howsoever insensitive the government may be, it will have to acknowledge the experience of the Parliamentarian. Howsoever strong might be the majority of the government, it will have to change its policies. Weight of the Parliamentarian is going to increase. No government will be able to deny this because the MP will say that I went to the village, I am working, these are the problems in my village, the policies of your government are wrong, your schemes are incorrect and your officers don’t understand. The power of these words will become the reason for change in the government’s policies. This country is going to choose bottom-to-top approach. In the academic word bottom-to-top, top-to-bottom approaches are discussed. But we want to make a beginning somewhere. For this I say demand-driven and not supply-driven. Can we choose a society-driven development approach rather than a government-driven one? Can we increase people’s participants along with government facilitation? 

We were just watching a video about a village in Andhra. They have set up 28 committees in such a small village. All are functional, there are not for show. And they have done it. If we take this inspiration, if today Parliamentarians and tomorrow MLAs will take forward 7-8 thousands villages every year, it will create a viral effect that will change the entire model of development of rural clusters. 

We should understand that the aspirations of a rural person are no less than an urban person. He is also watching the world and wants a change in his quality of life. He also wants good education for his children. If long distance education is available, he wants it. 

Let’s talk about drip irrigation. Who can deny that there is a water crisis everywhere? Won’t I place drip irrigation in every field of my chosen village? I’ll bring all the schemes of the government, will help them in getting loans from banks. Can I increase their production through drip irrigation? Economy of the village will change. There will be cattle rearing and increased milk production, improved situation of cattle. I will bring officers, explain things to them and bring change. 

Friends, I believe that rural life can be changed. Those MPs who have been elected from urban areas and don’t have any village, I request them to choose a nearby village. My friends from Rajya Sabha should select a village of their choice from the states from which they are coming. Nominated MPs can choose any village from all over India. We will all collectively try to open the door of creative politics and will work away from political untouchability. 

Jai Prakash Ji, Mahatama Gandhi, Ram Manohar Lohia ji, Pandit Deen Dayal Ji, are such icons of last century whose shadow is there on the political life of today. All may not have impacted all but everyone must have been influenced a little by someone. We should take inspiration from them and move this work ahead. This is my expectation from you. 

I said on 15th August that on 11th October, on the birth anniversary of Jai Prakash ji, we will present the guidelines. Some of my friends informed me of their selection of village that evening itself. And they were not BJP MPs alone. Even MPs from other parties, for example even Congress MPs, wrote to me. That day itself I felt that this concept has value. That is why people are adopting it beyond party politics. 

Still there are many like me, who have to select the village. It is pending in my area also because I wanted to decide after the guidelines are prepared and in consultation with the people and officers of Varanasi. I will surely do this in the next 15-20 days. We should convey this confidence that there will be more villages in the future. A model is emerging. If we manage to show this model to villagers, change will be automatic. We will bring about rural development by our efforts and not by diktat. The letter has been written and the job is done - this is not like that. This will not be accomplished by asking questions in the Parliament. We need to work collectively. 

I believe that we are experimenting with a new way of serving Mother India in a big way. I complement all the Parliamentarians from the deepest core of my heart that all party members have accepted this, welcomed this. This is not a final scheme, there will be many changes, many reforms, many practical situations will emerge. This is not a money-related scheme. This scheme is people-driven and will be accomplished through people’s participation and Parliamentarians’ guidance. We should take this forward. With this hope, I thank you all. 

Once again I pay my tributes to Jai Prakash ji. 

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My dear countrymen,

Namaskar. 2025 has just about arrived; it is knocking at the door. On the 26th of January 2025, our Constitution is completing 75 years. It is a matter of great honour for all of us. The Constitution, handed over to us by our Constitution makers, has stood the test of time in every sense of the term. The Constitution is our guiding light, our guide. It is on account of the Constitution of India that I am here today, being able to talk to you. This year, on Constitution Day, the 26th of November, many activities have commenced that will go on for a year. A special website named constitution75.com has also been created to connect the citizens of the country with the legacy of the Constitution. In this, you can read the Preamble of the Constitution and upload your video. You can read the Constitution in myriad languages; you can also ask questions pertaining to the Constitution. I urge the listeners of Mann Ki Baat, school going children, college going youth, to visit this website and become a part of it.

Friends,

The Maha Kumbh is also going to be held in Prayagraj from the 13th of next month. At this time, mammoth preparations are going on at the Sangam banks there. I remember, just a few days ago when I went to Prayagraj, my heart was filled with joy after viewing the entire Kumbh area from a helicopter. It’s so huge! So beautiful! Such grandeur!

Friends,

the specialty of the Maha Kumbh is not only in its vastness. The specialty of the Kumbh is also in its diversity. Crores of people congregate for this event. Lakhs of saints, thousands of traditions, hundreds of sects, many Akharas, everyone becomes a part of this event. There is no discrimination anywhere, no one is big, no one is small. Such a scene of unity in diversity will not be seen anywhere else in the world. Therefore, our Kumbh is also the Maha Kumbh of unity. This time's Maha Kumbh will also bolster the mantra of Maha Kumbh of unity. Let me tell all of you; when we participate in the Kumbh, let us bring along this resolve of unity with us. Let us also make a resolve to annihilate the feeling of division and hatred in the society. If I have to say it in a few words, then I will say... Mahakumbh Ka Sandesh, Ek Ho Poora Desh… The message of the Mahakumbh, let the whole country be united. and putting it in another way, I will express... Ganga Ki Aviral Dhara, Na Bante Samaj Hamara... Like the uninterrupted flow of the Ganga, let our society be undivided. Friends, this time in Prayagraj, devotees from the country and the world will also be witness to the digital Maha Kumbh.

With the help of digital navigation, you will be able to reach different ghats, temples, and akharas of sadhus. The same navigation system will also help you reach parking spaces. For the first time, an AI chatbot will be used in the Kumbh event. All kinds of information related to Kumbh will be available in 11 Indian languages ​​through the AI ​​chatbot. Anyone can ask for any kind of help through this chatbot, either by typing text or by speaking in. The entire Fair area is being covered with AI-powered cameras. If someone gets separated from one’s kith and kin during the Kumbh, these cameras will help in finding them. Devotees will also get the facility of a digital lost & found center. Devotees will also be provided information about government-approved tour packages, accommodation and homestay on their mobile phones. If you too go to the Mahakumbh, then avail of these facilities… and yes, do upload your selfie with #EktaKaMahakumbh.

Friends,

now in 'Mann Ki Baat' i.e. MKB, we will talk about KTB. Many of the elderly may not know about KTB. But just ask children, KTB is a superhit among them. KTB means Krish, Trish and Baltiboy. You might know that the favourite animation series of children is called KTB - Bharat Hain Hum and now its second season is also out. These three animation characters tell us about those heroes and bravehearts; men and women associated with the Indian freedom struggle who are not discussed much. Recently, its season-2 was launched in a very special way at the International Film Festival of India, Goa.

The best thing is that this series is broadcast not only in many Indian languages ​​but also in foreign languages. It can be watched on Doordarshan as well as other OTT platforms.

Friends,

the popularity of our animation films, regular films, TV serials shows how much potential India's creative industry has. This industry is not only contributing to the country's progress but is also taking our economy to new heights. Our film and entertainment industry is very vast. Films are made in many languages ​​of the country; creative content is produced. I also congratulate our film and entertainment industry because it has strengthened the sentiment of 'Ek Bharat - Shreshtha Bharat'.

Friends,

in the year 2024, we are celebrating the 100th birth anniversary of many great personalities of the film world. These personalities have accorded Indian cinema recognition at the world level. Raj Kapoor ji introduced the world to the soft power of India through films. Rafi sahab's voice had that magic which touched every heart. His voice was amazing. Be it devotional songs or romantic songs, sad songs, he brought every emotion alive with his voice. His greatness as an artiste can be gauged from the fact that even today the young generation listens to his songs with the same passion - this is the distinct mark of timeless art. Akkineni Nageswara Rao Garu has taken Telugu cinema to new heights. His films presented Indian traditions and values ​​very well. Tapan Sinha ji's films gave a new vision to the society.

Their films always carried the message of social consciousness and national unity. The lives of these personalities are an inspiration for our entire film industry.

Friends,

I want to give you a piece of another good news. A great opportunity is on the way to showcase India's creative talent to the world. Next year, for the first time, the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit i.e. WAVES summit is going to be organised in our country. All of you must have heard about Davos, where the world's economic giants gather. Similarly, in the WAVES summit, giants from the media and entertainment industry and people from the creative world will come to India. This summit is an important step towards making India a hub of global content creation. I feel proud informing you that the young creators of our country are also joining with full enthusiasm in the preparations for this summit. When we are moving towards a 5 trillion dollar economy, our creator economy is bringing in a new energy.

I would urge the entire entertainment and creative industry of India - whether you are a young creator or an established artist, associated with Bollywood or regional cinema, a professional from the TV industry, an expert in animation, gaming or an innovator in entertainment technology - to be a part of the WAVES summit.

My dear countrymen,

all of you know how the radiance of Indian culture is spreading to every nook & corner of the world today. Today I will tell you about such efforts from three continents, which are witness to the global reach of our cultural heritage. All of them are miles apart from each other. But their eagerness to know India and learn from our culture is the same.

Friends,

the more the world of paintings is filled with colors, the more beautiful it is. Those of you who are connected to ‘Mann Ki Baat’ through TV can watch some paintings on TV right now. You will immensely like watching our Gods and Goddesses, dance forms and great personalities in these paintings. You will get to see many things,besides the flora and fauna found in India in these paintings. These include a splendid painting of Taj Mahal which has been made by a 13 year old girl. You will be surprised to know that this Divyang girl has made this painting with her mouth. The most interesting thing is that the people who made these paintings are not from India but are students from Egypt. Just a few weeks ago, around 23 thousand students from Egypt participated in a painting competition. There, they had to prepare paintings depicting Indian culture and the historical relations between the two countries. I appreciate all the youth who participated in this competition. No amount of praise for their creativity would be enough.

Friends,

there is a country in South America called Paraguay. The number of Indians living there would not be more than one thousand. A wonderful effort is being done in Paraguay. At the Indian Embassy there, Erica Huber offers Ayurved Consultation. These days, a large number of local people are reaching out to her to get Ayurved based advice. Erica Huber might have studied engineering, but her heart lies in Ayurveda. She did courses related to Ayurveda and over time, she became proficient in it.

Friends,

it is a matter of great pride for us that Tamil is the oldest language in the world and every Indian is proud of it. The number of people learning it is constantly rising in countries around the world. At the end of last month, a Tamil Teaching Programme was started in Fiji with the support of the Government of India. This is the first time in the last 80 years that trained Tamil teachers are teaching the language in Fiji. I am happy to know that today the students of Fiji are taking a lot of interest in learning the Tamil language and culture. Friends, these things, these incidents, are not just success stories. These are also the saga of our cultural heritage. These examples fill us up with pride. From Art to Ayurveda and from language to music, there is so much in India, which is making its mark in the world.

Friends,

in this winter season, several activities related to sports and fitness are being organised across the country. I am happy that people are making fitness a part of their daily routine.

From Skiing in Kashmir to kite flying in Gujarat, enthusiasm for sports can be seen everywhere. Campaigns like #SundayOnCycle and #CyclingTuesday are promoting cycling.

Friends,

I now want to tell you something unique which is a symbol of the changes taking place in our country and the zeal and enthusiasm of young friends. Do you know that a unique Olympic has started in our Bastar! Yes, a new revolution is coming into being in Bastar through the first Bastar Olympics. It is a matter of great joy for me that the dream of Bastar Olympics has come true. You will also be happy to know that this is taking place in the region which was once a witness to Maoist violence. The mascot of the Bastar Olympics is - ‘Wild Water Buffalo’ and ‘Hill Myna’. It reflects the rich culture of Bastar. The defining Mantra of this sports Mahakumbh is -

‘Karsay Ta Bastar Barsaye Ta Bastar’

i.e. ‘Bastar will play - Bastar will win’.

In the very first instance, one lakh 65 thousand players from 7 districts have participated in the Bastar Olympics. This is not just a statistic - it is the proud story of the resolve of our youth.

Athletics, Archery, Badminton, Football, Hockey, Weightlifting, Karate, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho and Volleyball - our youth have gloriously displayed their talent in every sport. Kari Kashyap ji’s story inspires me a lot. Kari ji, who hails from a small village, has won a silver medal in archery.

She says - “Bastar Olympics has given us not just a playground but an opportunity to move ahead in life”. What Payal Kawasi ji from Sukma says is no less inspiring. Payal ji, who won a gold medal in Javelin Throw, says - “With discipline and hard work, no goal is impossible”. The story of Punem Sanna ji from Dornapal in Sukma is an inspiring tale of New India. Punem ji, who was once under Naxal influence, is today winning medals by racing on a wheelchair. His courage and zeal is an inspiration for everyone. Archer Ranju Sori from Kodagaon has been chosen as the ‘Bastar youth icon’. She believes that Bastar Olympics is giving the youth from remote areas an opportunity to reach the national stage.

Friends,

Bastar Olympics is not just a sports event. It is a platform where development and sports are merging together, where our youth are honing their talent and building a new Bharat. I urge all of you to:

- Encourage such sports events in your area
- Share stories of sports talents from your area with #KhelegaBharat – JeetegaBharat
- Give local sports talents an opportunity to progress

Remember, sports not only lead to physical development, but is also a powerful medium to connect society with the sportsman spirit. So play well and bloom well. My dear countrymen, two big achievements of India are attracting the attention of the world today. You will also feel proud to hear about them.

Both these successes have been achieved in the field of health. The first achievement has been in the fight against malaria. Malaria has been a big challenge confronting humanity for four thousand years. Even at the time of Independence, it was one of our biggest health challenges. Malaria ranks third among all infectious diseases that kill children between one month and five years of age. Today, I can say with satisfaction that the countrymen have collectively, strongly fought this challenge. The report of the World Health Organization - WHO mentions - “In India, there has been an 80 percent reduction in the number of malaria cases and deaths due to it between 2015 & 2023.“ This is no mean achievement. The most heartening thing is that this success has been achieved through everyone’s participation. Everyone from every corner of India, from every district, became a part of this campaign. In the tea gardens of Jorhat in Assam, malaria used to be a major cause of concern for people until four years ago.

But when the tea garden dwellers united to eradicate it, they started getting success to a great extent. In this effort, they have made full use of technology as well as social media. Similarly, Kurukshetra district of Haryana has presented a very good model for controlling malaria. Here, public participation for monitoring Malaria has been quite successful. Through street plays and radio, emphasis was laid on messages which helped a lot in reducing the breeding of mosquitoes. It is only through such efforts across the country that we have been able to take the war against malaria forward more rapidly.

Friends,

another example of what we can achieve with our awareness and determination is the fight against cancer. A study of the world-renowned Medical Journal Lancet indeed raises a lot of hope. According to this Journal, now the chances of starting cancer treatment on time in India have increased a lot. Timely treatment means starting the treatment of a cancer patient within 30 days and the ‘Ayushman Bharat Yojana’ has played a big role in this. Because of this scheme, 90 percent of cancer patients have been able to start their treatment on time. This has happened because earlier, due to lack of money, poor patients used to shy away from getting tested for cancer and its treatment. Now, the Ayushman Bharat Yojana has become a big support for them. Now they are coming forward to get themselves treated. The Ayushman Bharat Yojana has reduced the financial problems in cancer treatment to a great extent.

It is equally good that today, people have become more aware than ever before about timely treatment of cancer. This achievement is as much of our healthcare system, doctors, nurses and technical staff as it is of all of you, my citizen brothers and sisters. With everyone's efforts, the resolve to defeat cancer has become even stronger. The credit for this success goes to all those who have contributed significantly in spreading awareness.

There is only one mantra to fight cancer - Awareness, Action and Assurance. Awareness means awareness of cancer and its symptoms, Action means timely diagnosis and treatment, Assurance means the belief that every help is available for patients. Come, let us together take this fight against cancer forward rapidly and help as many patients as possible.

My dear countrymen,

today I want to tell you about an effort in Kalahandi, Odisha, which is writing a new story of success despite a paucity of water and resources. This is the 'vegetable revolution' of Kalahandi. Where once farmers were forced to migrate; today, Golamunda block of Kalahandi has become a vegetable hub. How did this change come about? It started with a small group of just 10 farmers. This group together established an FPO - 'Kisan Utpad Sangh', started using modern technology in farming, and today their FPO is doing business worth crores. Today more than 200 farmers are associated with this FPO, including 45 women farmers.

Together, these people are cultivating tomatoes in 200 acres and bitter gourd in 150 acres. Now the annual turnover of this FPO has also risen to more than 1.5 crores. Today, vegetables from Kalahandi are reaching not only various districts of Odisha, but also other states, and the farmers there are now learning new techniques of potato and onion cultivation.

Friends,

this success of Kalahandi teaches us what all can be done with determination and collective effort. I urge all of you to:-

• Encourage FPO in your area
• Join farmer producer organizations and strengthen them.

Remember - big changes are possible even through small beginnings. We just need determination and team spirit.

Friends,

in today's 'Mann Ki Baat' we heard how our India is moving ahead with unity in diversity. Be it the sports field or the field of science, health or education – India is touching new heights in every field. We have faced every challenge together like a family and achieved new successes. In the 116 episodes of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ that commenced in 2014, I have seen that ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has become a living document of the collective power of the country.

All of you have welcomed this programme; made it your own. Every month you have shared your thoughts and efforts. Sometimes the idea of ​​a young innovator has impressed me, and sometimes the achievement of a daughter has made me proud. It is the participation of all of you that brings together positive energy from every corner of the country. ‘Mann Ki Baat’ has become a platform for the amplification of this positive energy, and now, 2025 is knocking at the door. In the coming year, we will share more inspiring efforts through ‘Mann Ki Baat’. I am confident that with positive thinking and spirit of innovation of the countrymen, India will touch new heights.

Keep sharing the unique efforts around you with #Mannkibaat. I know that in every Mann ki Baat next year, we will have a lot to share with each other. Best wishes to all of you for 2025. Stay healthy, stay happy, join the Fit India Movement, keep yourself fit. Keep progressing in life. Thank you very much.