PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday highlighted several milestones achieved by the country to become self-reliant as he cited the maiden flight of the made-in-India C-295 aircraft and the successful test of the indigenous Long-Range Land-Attack Cruise Missile. In his monthly radio broadcast ‘Mann Ki Baat’, Modi noted that in June itself, the country has achieved a major success in the aviation sector. Noting that the C-295 aircraft has been made in India, he said, “As many as 40 such aircraft are being built right here in India and this is giving new strength to MSMEs and the aerospace sector”. “Recently, I got the opportunity to participate in a Navyrelated programme in Kolkata. There, INS Dunagiri, INS Shanshak and INS Agrya were inducted into the Indian Navy’s fleet. From the design to manufacturing of these ships, everything is indigenous,” he said.

 

The Prime Minister said in June, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) also successfully tested an indigenous Long-Range Land-Attack Cruise Missile (LRLACM). “In other words, from the seas to the skies, our India is becoming increasingly secure and self-reliant,” he said. During the broadcast, Modi thanked citizens for heeding to his appeal to avoid buying gold for some time, holidaying abroad and opting for car pool in view of the West Asia situation. Referring to an initiative to prepare the youth for new technology while keeping them rooted in their heritage, he said the Central Sanskrit University in Delhi is launching a B.Tech program in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science. Modi said Indian culture is reaching various corners of the globe, noting that in the Dominican Republic, where the Indian population is just around 100, a team has been formed by some S p a n i s h - s p e a k i n g locals who have named it as ‘ B r a h m a k a m a l Dominicana.’

 

The Prime Minister also spoke about the superstition surrounding the Hargila bird “Hargila was considered inauspicious in certain parts of Assam and trees housing Hargila nests were even cut down,” he said, adding biologist Purnima Devi Barman witnessed this and resolved to change the misconceptions deeply rooted in people’s minds. Modi said far more young people are now pursuing sports as a career and shared that a special initiative has been taken in Nagaland where the ‘Nagaland Baby League’ of football was launched. Talking about Meghalaya’s root bridges, Modi said India has now sought inclusion of the root bridges in the UNESCO World Heritage Site Network. He said climate change poses several challenges to these root bridges but people of Meghalaya have admirably shouldered the responsibility of preserving this natural heritage.

 

“Today, local residents look after more than 120 root bridges. Some teams inspect the condition of these bridges annually, and some individuals have even established nurseries to strengthen the surrounding areas. An entire ecosystem has thus developed around their conservation,” he said. Modi also spoke about how some women from Biaora in Rajgarh district of Madhya Pradesh have resolved to remove plastic waste in their area. Referring to the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in September, he said “I urge all of you... Please make an effort to ensure that the idol of Ganpati Bappa installed in your home, society, or neighbourhood is made from the soil of our own country and crafted by the hands of our own potters and local artisans.