Modi participated in the 118th episode of Mann Ki Baath, which was held on the third Sunday of January 19, 2025, instead of the fourth Sunday (January 26) which was Republic Day in 2025
NEW DELHI, JANUARY 19, 2025: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has thanked the Election Commission of India, which has modernized and strengthened the voting process occasionally. The EC has used the power of technology to give more power to the power of the people.
“I congratulate the Election Commission for its commitment to fair elections. I want to urge the countrymen to use their right to vote, always, in maximum numbers and also become a part of the country’s democratic process and strengthen this process”, he maintained.
The Prime Minister was participating in the 118th episode of Mann Ki Baath of 2025, which was held on the third Sunday as against the last Sunday of which is usually the case, as the next Sunday is Republic Day. Friends, a day before Republic Day, the 25th of January is National Voters’ Day. This day is important because on this day the Election Commission of India was established. Our constitution makers have accorded a very important place to our Election Commission in the Constitution and equally to people’s participation in democracy. When the first elections were held in the country in 1951-52, some people were doubtful whether the country’s democracy would survive. But our democracy proved all the apprehensions wrong – after all, India is the Mother of Democracy. In the past decades as well, the country’s democracy has strengthened and prospered, he stated.
Stating that Republic Day’ is very special as it is the 75th anniversary of the Indian Republic, Mr Modi said that this year marks 75 years of the Constitution coming into force. “I salute all those great personalities of the Constituent Assembly, who gave us our sacred Constitution. During the Constituent Assembly, long deliberations were held on many subjects. Those discussions, the thoughts of the members of the Constituent Assembly, their words, are our great heritage”, he pointed out.
With regard to the Maha Kumbh mela which has commenced in Prayagraj, he said that it is an unforgettable sea of humanity, incredible visuals and an extraordinary confluence of equality and harmony! This time, many a divine alignment is also converging at the Kumbh. This festival of Kumbh celebrates the festival of unity in diversity. People from all over India and the world congregate on the sands of the Sangam. There is no discrimination, no casteism anywhere in this tradition which has been going on for thousands of years… People from the south of India, from the east and west of India arrive here. In the Kumbh, the rich and the poor come together as one. All of them take a dip at the Sangam, dine together in the bhandaras, receive prasad – that is why the Kumbh is the Maha Kumbh of unity. The Kumbh event also tells us how our traditions bind the whole of India together. The ways of adhering to the beliefs are the same from north to south. On the one hand, the Kumbh is organized at Prayagraj, Ujjain, Nasik and Haridwar; on the other, in the southern part, Pushkaram is organized on the banks of Godavari, Krishna, Narmada and Kaveri rivers. Both these festivals are connected with our holy rivers and their beliefs. Similarly, from Kumbakonam to Tirukkad-Yur, from Kood-Vasal to Tirucherai, there are many such temples whose traditions are connected with the Kumbh.
The Prime Minister said IIT Madras’s ExTeM Centre is working on new technologies for manufacturing in Space. This Centre is conducting research on technologies like 3D-printed buildings, metal foams and optical fibres in Space. This Centre is also developing revolutionary methods like concrete construction without water.
This research of ExTeM will strengthen India’s Gaganyaan mission and the future Space Station. This will also open new avenues of modern technology in manufacturing. Friends, all these achievements are proof of how visionary India’s scientists and innovators are, in providing solutions to future challenges. Today, our country is setting new benchmarks in Space technology. I extend my best wishes to India’s scientists, innovators and young entrepreneurs on behalf of the entire nation, he mentioned.
