Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM's address in Mann Ki Baat Programme (Episode -41, 25 February 2018)
Posted On: 25 FEB 2018 11:40AM by PIB Delhi
My dear countrymen, Namaskar.
Let us begin today’s Mann Ki Baat with a phone call.]
Phone Call...
Thank
you very much for your phone call. My young friends have asked me many
questions related to Science; they keep writing on quite a few points.
All of us have seen that the sea appears blue, but we know from routine
life experiences that water has no colour at all. Have we ever thought
why water acquires colour in rivers and seas? The same thought occurred
to a young man in the 1920s. The same question gave rise to a great
scientist of modern India. When we talk about Science, the first name
that strikes us is that of Bharat Ratna Sir C.V.Raman. He was awarded
the Nobel Prize for his outstanding work on light scattering. One of his
discoveries is famous as the Raman Effect.
We celebrate the 28th
of February as National Science Day since on this very day, he is said
to have discovered the phenomenon of light scattering, for which the
Nobel Prize was conferred upon him. This land has given birth to many a
great scientist. On the one hand, there has been a tradition of great
Mathematicians like Bodhayan, Bhaskar, Brahmagupt and Aryabhatt; on the
other, in the field of medicine, Sushrut & Charak have bestowed upon
us a place of pride. Right from Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose and Hargobind
Khurana to Satyendranath Bose have brought laurels to India. The famous
particle BOSON has been named after Satyendranath Bose. Recently I got
an opportunity to take part in a programme in Mumbai – the inauguration
of the Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence. It was
interesting to know about the ongoing miraculous accomplishments in the
field of Science. Artificial Intelligence aids in making robots, Bots
and other machines meant for specific tasks. Through self learning,
machines today can enhance their intelligence to a smarter level. This
technology can be harnessed to better the lives of the underprivileged,
the marginalized and the needy. In that programme on Artificial
Intelligence, I urged the scientific community to deliberate on how
Artificial Intelligence could help us make life easier for our divyang
brothers & sisters. Can we make better predictions of natural
disasters using Artificial Intelligence? Can we use it to provide
assistance to farmers on crop yield? Can Artificial Intelligence be used
as tool to simplify the outreach of health services and modernize
medical treatment?
A few days ago, I got an opportunity to accompany the Prime Minister of
Israel to Ahmedabad, Gujarat for the inauguration of ‘I create’. There a
young person referred to developing a digital instrument that converts
the written word into voice. This is to aid those who are incapable of
speech to converse normally like any other person. I feel we can harness
Artificial Intelligence in many such fields.
Science and Technology are value neutral. They don’t possess any value
in themselves. Any machine will work the way we want it to. It entirely
depends on us what task we want it to perform. Here human objectives
assume significance; the use of Science for the sole purpose of human
welfare, with the endeavour to assist human lives touch the greatest
heights.
Thomas Alva Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, failed many a time
in his experiments. Once, on being asked about it, he quipped, “I have
devised ten thousand ways of how NOT to make a light bulb”. What I mean
to say is, Edison transformed even his failures into his own strength.
Coincidentally, I am fortunate today to be in Auroville, the land, the
karmabhoomi of Maharshi Arvind. As a revolutionary, he challenged
British rule, fought against them and questioned subjugation. Thus, as a
great sage, he questioned every facet of life. Extracting answers, he
showed the right path to humanity. The relentless quest to ask questions
for knowing the truth is very important. And this is the very essence,
the real inspiration behind scientific inventions and discoveries. Never
rest till every ‘why’, ‘what’ & ‘how’ are answered. I congratulate
our scientists, and all those connected with Science on the occasion of
National Science Day. May our young generation be inspired for the quest
of truth & knowledge; may they be motivated to serve society
through Science. I wish them the best.
Friends, safety in the times of crises, disasters are topics on which
many messages keep coming in- people keep writing to me. In a comment
posted on Narendra Modi Mobile App, Shriman Ravindra Singh from Pune has
referred to occupational safety. He writes that in our country, safety
standards at factories and construction sites are not upto the mark.
Since the 4th of March is National Safety Day, the Prime
Minister should include safety in the Mann Ki Baat programme in order to
raise awareness on safety. When we refer to public safety, two aspects
are very important- proactiveness and preparedness. Safety is of two
kinds – one is safety during disasters and the other is safety in
everyday life. If we are not aware of safety in daily life, if we are
not able to attain a certain level, it will get extremely difficult
during the time of disasters. We often read signboards on streets
bearing lines such as – ‘सतर्कता हटी – दुर्घटना घटी’ – ‘Lose alertness – invite mishaps’ or ‘एक भूल करे नुकसान, छीने खुशियां और मुस्कान’ – ‘One mistake can cost you dear- rob you of your joy & smile’ or इतनी जल्दी न दुनिया छोड़ो, सुरक्षा से अब नाता जोड़ो – ‘Don’t be in a hurry to leave this world – embrace the culture of safety’ or सुरक्षा से न करो कोई मस्ती वर्ना जिन्दगी होगी सस्ती
– ‘Don’t play around with safety, your life will be treated cheap’.
Beyond that, these sentences serve no purpose in our lives. Leave aside
natural disasters; most of the mishaps are a consequence of some mistake
or the other on our part. If we stay alert, abide by the prescribed
rules & regulations, we shall not only be able to save our own lives
but we can prevent catastrophes harming society. There are times when
we come across many slogans on safety at the work place but none
following their letter and spirit. I urge the fire brigade under
corporations and municipalities to visit school children once a week or
once a month and perform mock drills for them. This will have a dual
benefit – the fire brigade will undergo an exercise in readiness and the
new generation will get lessons in alertness. And all this at no added
cost. In a way it will a natural part of the overall learning curve.
India is a land of geographic and climatic diversities. As far as
disasters are concerned, this country has borne the brunt of many a
natural as well as man made disaster, such as chemical & industrial
mishaps. Today, the National Disaster Management Authority, NDMA is the
vanguard when it comes to dealing with disasters in the country. During
earthquakes, floods, cyclones, landslides, NDMA reaches the area within
no time. They have issued guidelines; simultaneously they keep imparting
training on a regular basis for capacity building. In Districts prone
to floods and cyclones, an initiative names ‘Aapada Mitra’ has been
launched for training Volunteers. Training and awareness have a very
important role to play. Two- three years ago, thousands of people would
lose their lives every year due to heat-wave. After that, NDMA organized
workshops on heat wave management as part of a campaign to raise
awareness in people. Mass participation led to good results. In 2017,
the death toll on account of heat wave remarkably came down to around
220 or so. This proves that if we accord priority to safety, we can
actually attain safety. I laud the role played by innumerable
individuals, citizens who immediately embark upon rescue and relief
operations wherever a disaster strikes. And there are numerous such
unnamed, unsung heroes. Our Fire & Rescue services, National
Disaster Response Forces Armed Forces, Paramilitary Forces… these brave
hearts go beyond the call of duty to help people in distress, often
risking their own lives. Organisations like NCC and Scouts are also
contributing in this task; they are getting trained too. Recently we
have made an attempt to have joint exercise for disaster management
between countries on the lines of joint military exercise involving
different countries of the world. India has made a pioneering effort –
BIMSTEC, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan &
Nepal – a joint disaster management exercise involving these countries
was undertaken. It was a novel humanitarian experiment on a large scale.
We’ll have to turn ourselves into a risk conscious society. In our
culture, we often talk of safety of values; we now need to realize the
values of safety. We’ll have to make it part of our life, our being. In
day to day life, during air travel, we must have frequently come across
air hostesses giving out a rather longish speech, safety instructions at
the beginning of a flight. We must have heard it hundreds of times. But
today if one of us is taken inside an aircraft and asked about the
location of equipments, say life jackets, and how to use them, I can say
for sure that none of us will be able to give the right answer. So, was
there a provision for giving our information? Yes, there was. Was there
a scope of direct visibility when the information was given? Of course
there was. But we did not respond actively. WHY? Because by nature, we
are not conscious. And that is why our ears hear when we sit in the
aircraft, but no one realizes that ‘these instructions are for me’. We
experience this in all walks of life. Let us not think that safety is
only meant for someone else. If all of us become conscious and aware of
our own safety, the essence of safety of society will be inbuilt.
My dear countrymen, in the current budget, emphasis has been laid on
turning ‘waste to wealth’ and ‘waste to energy’ through Bio gas, under
the Swachch Bharat Campaign. An effort was initiated which was named
GOBAR-Dhan - Galvanizing Organic Bio Agro Resources. The aim of this
GOBAR- DHAN scheme is ensuring cleanliness in villages and generating
wealth and energy by converting cattle dung and solid agricultural waste
into Compost and Bio Gas. India is home to the highest cattle
population in the world, close to 300 million in number, with a daily
output of 3 million tonnes of dung. Some European countries and China
use animal dung and other Bio-waste to produce energy. But India was
lacking full capacity utilization. Under the Swachch Bharat Mission
(Rural), we are taking rapid strides in this direction.
A
target has been set to use cattle dung, agricultural waste, kitchen
waste to produce Bio gas based energy. Under the Gobardhan Scheme our
farmer brothers & sisters in rural India will be encouraged to
consider dung and other waste not just as a waste but as a source of
income. Under the aegis of 'GobarDhanYojana', many benefits will accrue
to rural areas. It will be easier to keep the village clean and
sanitized, livestock health will improve and farm yields will increase.
Biogas generation will increase self-reliance in energy utilized for
cooking and lighting. Farmers and cattle herders will be helped in
augmenting their income. There will be novel opportunities for newer
jobs linked to waste collection, transportation, biogas sales etc. An
online trading platform will be created for better implementation of
'Gobar Dhan Yojana', it will connect farmers to buyers so that farmers
can get the right price for dung and agricultural waste. I urge
entrepreneurs, especially our sisters residing in rural India, to step
forward, and through creation of self-help groups and cooperative
societies extract full advantage from this opportunity. I invite you to
become part of the movement comprising clean energy and green jobs, to
become a part of the initiative to convert waste in your village to
wealth and by converting dung into ‘Gobar dhan.’
My dear countrymen, till date, we have been hearing about the myriad
types of festivals - be it music festivals, food festivals, film
festivals and many other kinds of festivals. But in a unique endeavor in
Raipur, Chhattisgarh, the state's first 'Trash Mahotsav' was organized.
The objective behind this festival sponsored by Raipur Municipal
Corporation was to generate awareness about cleanliness and the methods
using which city's waste can be creatively used and inculcate awareness
about various ways to recycle the garbage. A plethora of activities were
organized during this festival, which found full participation of
students and adults. Different types of artifacts were made utilizing
garbage. Many Workshops were organized to inform people on the entire
aspects of waste management. Music performances linked to the theme of
hygiene were held and art works were created. Raipur inspired various
types of such garbage or trash festivals in other districts too. Many
individuals taking initiative on their own behalf shared innovative
ideas, held discussions, conducted poetry recitals. A festive atmosphere
regarding cleanliness got geared up. The way the school children took
part in the entire endeavor was amazing. For the innovative manner in
which importance of waste management and cleanliness were displayed in
this festival, I congratulate the people of Raipur Municipal
Corporation, the entire populace of Chhattisgarh, its government and
administration.
Every
year on March 8, 'International Women's Day' is celebrated. There are
many programs that are held in our country and the world. On this day,
women are also felicitated with 'Nari Shakti Puraskar' who have
performed exemplary tasks in different sectors in the past. Today the
country is moving forward from the path of Women development to
women-led development. On this occasion, I remember the words of Swami
Vivekananda. He’d said 'The idea of perfect womanhood is perfect
independence' - This idea of Swami ji about one hundred and twenty
five years ago expresses the contemplation of woman power in Indian
culture. Today, it is our duty to ensure the participation of women in
every field of life, be it social or economic life, it is our
fundamental duty. We are part of a tradition where men were identified
due to women-Yashoda-Nandan, Kaushalya-Nandan, Gandhari-Putra, these
were identities of a son. Today our woman power has shown inner
fortitude and self-confidence, has made herself self-reliant. Not only
has she advanced herself but has carried forward the country and society
to newer heights.
After
all, our dream of 'New India' is the one where women are strong and
empowered and are equal partners in the development of the country. A
few days ago, a gentleman had given me a very sound proposition. He had
suggested that on 8th March myriad events herald 'Women's
Day' Why cannot we felicitate mothers and sisters who have completed 100
years in every Indian village or city,? Can a program of paying respect
for such centenarians be held and cannot we reflect upon a life lived
long? I liked the idea and I’m bouncing it with you will find many
examples of what woman power can achieve, If you look around near
yourself many such inspiring stories will appear. I just received news
from Jharkhand wherein under the 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan', about 1.5
million women in Jharkhand – and this figure is not a small one
organized a hygiene campaign for an entire month! Under the auspices of
this campaign starting from January 26, 2018, these women constructed 1
lakh 70 thousand toilets in just 20 days and made a record of sorts.
There were about one lakh ‘Sakhi Mandals,’ 14 lakh women, 2 thousand
women Panchayat representatives, 29 thousand water carriers, 10 thousand
female cleaners and 50 thousand women masons were involved in this
campaign. You can imagine what a mammoth undertaking it was! These women
of Jharkhand have shown that women power is an integral component of
‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’, which will change the course of the campaign of
cleanliness in general life, the effective role of hygiene in the
nature of the people ingeneral.
My
dear Brothers and sisters, I was just watching the TV news two days ago
that electricity has reached three villages of the Elephanta island
after 70 years of independence, and this has led to much joy and
enthusiasm among the people there. You all know very well, that
Elephanta is located 10 kms by the sea from Mumbai. It is a very
important tourist destination. The caves of Elephanta are marked as the
World Heritage sites by UNESCO and draw tourists from all over the
country and abroad. I was surprised to know that despite being such a
prominent center of tourism its close proximity from Mumbai, electricity
hadn’t reached Elephanta after so many years of independence. For 70
years, the lives of the denizens of three villages of the Elephanta
Island, Rajbunder, Morbandar and Centabandar, were engulfed by darkness,
which has got dispelled now and there is brightness in their lives. I
congratulate the administration and the populace there. I am glad that
now the villages of Elephanta and the caves of Elephanta will be lighted
due to electrification. This is not just electricity, but a new
beginning of a period of development. There is no greater contentment
and joy than the fact that the lives of the countrymen be full of shine
and there be happiness in their lives.
My
dear brothers and sisters, we just celebrated the festival of
Shivaratri. And now the month of March beckons us with ripe crops in the
fields, playful golden earrings of wheat and the captivating blossom of
mango pleasing to the mind are the highlights of this month. But this
month is also very special to all of us because of the festival of Holi.
On 2nd March the entire country immersed in joy will
celebrate the festival of Holi. In The festival of Holi, the importance
of colors is as important as the ceremony of 'HolikaDahan' because it
is the day when we burn our inherent vices in the fire. Holi makes us
forget our rancours and gives us an opportunity to be a part of each
other's happiness and glad tidings, and it conveys the message of love,
unity and brotherhood. I wish a very joyous festival of Holi to all my
countrymen, I further wish you colour laden felicitations. I wish and
hope that this festival forever remains a festival of colourful cheer in
the lives of all the countrymen- this is my wish. My dear countrymen,
thank you very much
***
AKT/HS
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