New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted India’s rapid strides in sports excellence, ecological conservation, traditional culture, and scientific education during the 134th episode of his monthly radio address, Mann Ki Baat, on Sunday. The Prime Minister lauded Indian athletes for shattering national records, discussed the cultural significance of traditional summer beverages, commended life-saving wildlife conservation efforts, and encouraged the youth to explore the field of astronomy during their holidays.
In his address, the Prime Minister congratulated several prominent athletes, including Gurinder Veer Singh, Vishal TK, Tejaswin Shankar, Dev Meena, and Kuldeep Kumar, for setting new national records during the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition in Ranchi, Jharkhand. He drew special attention to the men’s 100-metre sprint, where the national record was remarkably broken three times within a span of 48 hours by sprinters Gurinder Veer Singh and Animesh Kujur. The Prime Minister described these achievements as a matter of immense pride, reflecting the deep reservoir of sporting talent rising from across the country.
Addressing the severe heat wave conditions impacting large parts of India, the Prime Minister advised citizens to prioritize health guidelines and stay adequately hydrated. He noted that traditional Indian summer drinks serve as delicious refreshments while beautifully reflecting the spirit of national unity. He cited regional specialities such as lassi in Punjab and Haryana, chaas in Rajasthan and Gujarat, sattu sharbat in Bihar and Jharkhand, kokum sharbat and sol kadhi in the Konkan region, panakam and neer mor in South India, and bel pana in Odisha as symbols of India’s vast cultural diversity.
Turning his focus toward environmental protection, the Prime Minister praised a unique conservation milestone involving a specialized Dolphin Rescue Ambulance that successfully saved an endangered Ganges river dolphin after an intensive 13-hour operation. Functioning as a mobile hospital, the vehicle features built-in oxygen support and custom rescue equipment to treat stranded marine wildlife. He also shared the inspiring civic work of Akash Gupta from Basti, Uttar Pradesh, who mobilized local youth to manually extract massive quantities of plastic waste and invasive water hyacinths from the polluted Manorama river.
In the fields of science and social responsibility, the Prime Minister highlighted the growing popularity of astronomy clubs among students, specifically commending the Astro Kerala initiative for organizing night sky observation camps and telescope-building workshops. He encouraged students to visit planetariums to foster scientific curiosity. Finally, he lauded the selfless efforts of Saji Valasseril from Aluva, Kerala, who launched a free swimming academy following a tragic local boating accident, successfully training over 15,000 individuals, including children with disabilities, in essential water safety skills.
