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Hello my dear countrymen. I am extremely happy to join you all once again in Mann Ki Baat. Half of the year 2026 is about to pass. In these six months, we have discussed many achievements of the countrymen in Mann Ki Baat. Even in June, the country has achieved some such achievements which fill every citizen with pride. These successes are linked to the security and self-reliance of the country. Recently I got the opportunity to attend a Navy related event in Kolkata. There IAS Dunagiri, IAS Sanshodha and IAS Agra were inducted into the Indian Navy fleet.
Everything from the design and manufacturing of these ships is indigenous. Friends, in the month of June itself, the country achieved a big success in the aviation sector also. C295 This aircraft is made in India and C295 aircraft has completed its first flight and 40 such aircraft are being manufactured in India itself. This is giving new strength to the MSME and aerospace sectors. Employment opportunities are increasing and the resolve for a self-reliant India is also getting stronger. This month, DRDO has also successfully tested the indigenous long range land attack cruise missile.
It has been developed jointly by DRDO laboratories and Indian industry partners. That means today, from the sea to the sky, our India is becoming more secure and self-reliant. Friends, another event took place in June in which the whole world joined India's efforts and this event was International Yoga Day. This time, various yoga programs were held at more than 2500 places in the world. World Yogasana Championship held in Ahmedabad this month was also much talked about. In this, India won a total of 114 medals. These also include 102 gold medals. India stood first in the medal tally of this championship.
I congratulate all the winning players. Friends, the soul of any nation is its people and when the people of that country take a resolution, no power can deter them from their goal. This power of public participation in nation building is a huge asset of India and we are experiencing this public participation again and again. Friends, in view of the war situation prevailing in West Asia, I had made some requests to the countrymen. I had said that as far as possible avoid buying gold for some time. People were asked to avoid holidaying abroad. I had also appealed to people to promote car pooling.
I had urged the farmers to save their fields for chemical-free farming and use natural fertilizers as much as possible. Friends, I am grateful to every citizen of the country that they not only supported my appeal but are also cooperating with it from every aspect. Many families have sent me messages sharing their experiences. Many families have decided that they will not buy gold this time for family weddings. If needed, we will recycle old gold and make new jewellery. Many people have also written on social media about how they have postponed their foreign travel this time.
Friends, people have also shared many experiences regarding car pooling. People who used to travel in the same direction every day in their own vehicles have now started going together. People are using buses and metro wherever possible. This is saving petrol and diesel. Similarly, there are reports of increasing consumption of natural fertilizers in different parts of the country. Friends, I am happy that we Indians are fighting this global crisis together. I believe this power of public participation will strengthen us. Will make us successful.
My dear countrymen, in our country, along with birthdays, marriages, family functions, the entire society also celebrates. Every family wants its happiness to be shared with others. People also give gifts to the guests. Friends, a family in Nanded, Maharashtra has done such a thing to share their happiness which has become a topic of discussion. The Petkar family lives here in Bahadurpura village of Nanded. This family thought that if happiness has to be shared then something should be given which can become a support to a family in difficult times. On the occasion of a wedding at their home, this family arranged accident insurance for about 3000 people of the village.
Every person was given an insurance cover of ₹1 lakh. The sentiment behind this initiative is very touching. The family had observed that families face financial difficulties after an accident. At such times, even a small help becomes a big solution. Friends, the government is providing a shield of security to crores of families in the country. Under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, an annual premium of only ₹20, i.e. a premium of only ₹20 for one year, provides accident insurance up to ₹1 lakh. Till now more than 58 crore people have joined this scheme. Of these, about 28 crore are our mothers, sisters, daughters and women. As per the calculations received so far by the affected families under this scheme
assistance of more than ₹700 crore has been received. Friends, in the same way, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana is equally important. This plan provides an insurance cover of ₹ lakh to the family of the person in case of his/her tragic death. Its annual premium is just ₹436. Meaning barely ₹1.5 a day, more than 27 crore people have joined this scheme so far. Under this, about 11 lakh families of the country have received assistance of about Rs 22,000 crore. These figures are huge. Behind these figures are the stories of millions of families. Somewhere a mother got help in continuing her children's education.
Somewhere a wife got support in handling the household responsibilities. Friends, sometimes a great deal of security can begin with a very small amount and a small step. Even a small decision makes a big difference. I request all of you to share information about these schemes with your family. My dear countrymen, now in Mann Ki Baat let us talk about a topic which is thousands of years old. It has been ingrained in human society for thousands of years.
This is a matter of superstition. Superstition is often not just a misconception. It creates fear and when fear dominates the mind, the person stops seeing the truth. People steeped in superstition then start taking decisions without logic and without knowing the truth, which result in huge losses. At the same time, there are people in the society who challenge those beliefs on the basis of science, experience and logic. This journey from superstition to faith is not easy and today I definitely want to tell you about one such successful journey.
Friends, a bird is found in Assam. The name of that bird is Hargila. Hargila is a rare bird. It plays an important role in keeping nature clean. But in some areas of Assam it was considered inauspicious for a long time. People did not like to see it around them. Sometimes even the trees on which the nests of the har Gila were built were cut down. Imagine a bird that helps clean the environment. The same Hargila had become a victim of people's fear. Meanwhile, biologist Purnima Devi Burman saw all this. He resolved to change the misconception in the minds of people.
He talked to the women. He explained to people on the basis of science. Gradually women started joining this campaign. Then a big change began. The bird which was once considered inauspicious and was chased away. That's where the identity of the villages started to emerge. Thousands of rural women came forward to save Hargila. Today they are known as Hargila Army. These women also struggled with society. He worked day and night to educate the society and left behind superstition. He has shown it. When the right information is provided, even age-old thinking can change.
Friends, I often say that whoever plays, plays. Today the number of such youth is increasing very rapidly in the country. Those who are playing and are also playing. Now more youth are taking up sports as a career than ever before. I have come across two such efforts from Nagaland which are very interesting. The first attempt is Nagaland Baby League. Hearing the name, you must be thinking that this would be an ordinary league for very small children. but it's not like that. This is an extraordinary league of little flower-like children aged 5 to 10-12 years. And these kids have a league for football players that
inspires them and recognizes their speed and talent. It was started to connect more and more children of Nagaland with football. Boys and girls between 5 to 12 years of age can participate in it. This league has now completed its three years. This league has had a very positive impact on the minds of children. Friends, another good effort is being made in Nagaland. Its name is Nagaland Women Foot Sale League. Maybe this futsal will be a new name for you. Let me tell you.
Futsal is also known as indoor football. In this there are only five players in a team. The playing field is also much smaller than a football field. Due to this, players have to take quick decisions. They have to make better use of their technique and skills. Nagaland Women Futsal League is giving a good opportunity to our daughters to showcase their talent. I commend the people of Nagaland for such initiatives. Such efforts also inspire other parts of the country. Friends, this is the age of technology. New research is being done every day. New AI innovations are emerging. One question is very important in this era.
How to preserve people's creativity? How do we stay connected to our roots while moving forward with new technology? Nalanda University has found the solution to these questions. Our thousands of years old Nalanda University is now shaping the destiny of India in a new avatar. Two years ago I had the opportunity to inaugurate the new campus of Nalanda University. Nalanda University has revived our ancient tradition of debate. Debate is not just a medium to express one's views. This is a disciplined process of debate, dialogue and brainstorming. In this, it is very important to express your views with logic and facts
you should have mastery in it. The lesson of listening to and understanding the views of others patiently is also learnt from this process of debate. I am happy that Nalanda University made it a part of its convocation. About half of the students participating came from other countries. This effort to connect an ancient tradition with today's times is very commendable. I congratulate Nalanda University for this. I would also urge other universities in the country to consider such initiatives. Friends, another good effort is being made to prepare the youth for new technology by staying connected to their roots.
start B.Tech programme in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science. This is an important step towards integrating modern technology with India's traditional knowledge. This will help in developing new AI tools for Indian languages. The work of preserving our ancient texts and manuscripts in digital form will also get a new impetus. I wish Central Sanskrit University all the best for this endeavor. Friends, today Indian culture is reaching different parts of the world. Our songs, music and spirituality are being known and adopted by people all over the world.
Thousands of kilometers away from India, in the Caribbean Sea, there is a country called Dominican Republic. The number of Indians there is around 100. Maybe even less than that. Despite this, a very good effort related to Indian culture and spirituality is being made there. Some Spanish-speaking people there have formed a team. The name of this team is Brahma Kamal Dominicana. The team members study Vedic literature together. They are also learning to chant Vedic mantras. He has not received any formal training for this. But he has learnt the correct pronunciation of Vedic mantras by listening to audio recordings. Today he can chant many mantras very well.
These include Purusha Suktam, Sri Suktam, Sri Rudram, Durgasaktam and Devi Mahatmam. His effort to learn our traditions while living so far away from India is very inspiring. I wish all the members of Brahma Kamal Dominicana all the best in their efforts. heartily appreciate all those people who are continuously making efforts to popularize Indian culture across the world. My dear countrymen, Meghalaya is identified with clouds. It is with beautiful views. Whoever goes to Meghalaya remembers the warmth of the people there for a long time. But there is another speciality of Meghalaya which I want to discuss with you today in Mann Ki Baat.
This is the root bridge of Meghalaya. Not a route with a path, but a route with roots. The story of these root bridges is very interesting. These bridges are not built in a few days or a few years. These take decades to develop. The roots of rubber trees are gradually directed. These roots are carried across streams. Over time, those same roots take the form of a strong bridge. There is another feature of these bridges. This is a living bridge. These become stronger as time passes. reflect the creativity of the people of Meghalaya.
Behind them are years of patience and deep respect for nature. These bridges show how amazing things humans can create in collaboration with nature. This is the heritage of this land of our country. Now India has applied to include the root bridges of Meghalaya in the UNESCO World Heritage Site network. Friends, due to climate change, these root bridges also face many challenges. At such a time, the people of Meghalaya have also performed the responsibility of preserving this natural heritage very well.
Earlier it was not easy to find out the number of such bridges. The local people themselves started counting them. After this, the communities also took the responsibility of maintaining these bridges. Today, local people are maintaining more than 120 root bridges. Some teams check the condition of these bridges every year. Some people have even set up nurseries to strengthen the surrounding area. In this way, an entire ecosystem has been created for their conservation. You must have seen that this year Heli Varji has been awarded the Padma Award. He has spent over 50 years of his life caring for these root bridges. His dedication is inspiring to all of us.
Friends, if you have ever visited these root bridges, then do
