Mann ki Baat: Live broadcast at UN, special screenings for PM Modi’s 100th show

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has made massive arrangements for the broadcast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 100th episode of ‘Mann ki Baat’ show on Sunday.

The 100th episode of Modi’s monthly radio address will air at 11am. The live broadcast of the programme in the early hours of Sunday in the UN headquarters will be historic and unprecedented. It will be aired in the UN’s Trusteeship Council Chamber.

BJP targets 4 lakh venues for ‘Mann ki Baat’

The BJP is going all out to make the 100th episode of Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio broadcast an “unprecedented” mass outreach programme and has planned to organise facilities at 100 venues on average in every assembly constituency across the country for people to listen to it.

BJP sources told news agency PTI that the party will make arrangements at around four lakh places, including abroad, for people to hear Modi’s address, with party president JP Nadda overseeing the entire exercise to make it a “historic” success.

In all Raj Bhawans, official residences of governors, and the homes of chief ministers from the BJP or its allies, arrangements have been made for eminent citizens to listen to the programme.

Broadcast live at United Nations headquarters

In a historic moment, the episode will be broadcast live at the United Nations headquarters in New York. “Get ready for a historic moment as the 100th episode of PM Modi’s “Mann Ki Baat” is set to go live on April 30th in Trusteeship Council Chamber at @UN HQ!” the Permanent Mission of India to the UN said in a tweet.

“#MannKiBaat has become a monthly national tradition, inspiring millions to participate in India’s developmental journey,” the Permanent Mission said.

The BJP has made arrangements for the broadcast in 2000 enclosures at the booth level across Odisha and appealed to the people and other political parties, like the BJD and Congress to listen to it. The episode will be historic as it is all set to make a world record and the elaborate arrangement has been made so that it can reach out to more and more people, Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal said on Saturday.

Special screening at Indian high commission in London

The Indian high commission in London, UK, will at 6:30am on Sunday host a special screening of the episode. “@HCI_London is hosting a special screening of #MannKiBaat tomorrow at 06:30 am. #MannKiBaatAt100. Tune in for the 100th Maan Ki Baat on 30th April 2023,” the Indian high commission in London tweeted on Saturday.

Studies show programme has promoted inclusivity

Studies have shown that over 100 crore people have connected to Mann Ki Baat at least once, it speaks directly to people, celebrates grassroots-level changemakers and achievements of people and has influenced people towards positive actions. A survey by IIM Rohtak said there were 23 crore regular listeners of Mann Ki Baat and 96 per cent of the population was aware of the radio programme.

The powerful and decisive leadership of Modi and emotional connection with the audience were cited as reasons for the popularity of the programme by the listeners, the survey said.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said the radio programme has transformed into an “inspirational platform” encouraging sustainable progress on priority themes that are core to India’s efforts towards achieving sustainable development goals.

Since its inception in 2014, the monthly radio broadcast has become “a key pillar” of the government’s citizen-outreach programme, the study titled ‘Mann KI Baat–A Decade of Reflection’ added.

The objective of the study, the report said, was to perform a quantitative and qualitative textual analysis of 99 transcripts of the Mann Ki Baat episodes published from 2014-2023 using text-mining tools as well as to identify the most prominently discussed thematic areas in the programme.

Tourism ministry plans ‘100 days of action’

From a pan-India design challenge for entrepreneurs to develop substitutes for single-use plastic items to the visit of youths to lighthouses, the Union ministry of tourism has planned “100 days of action” to mark the 100th episode of Mann ki Baat broadcast. The ministry will celebrate the 100th episode through its Yuva Tourism Clubs.

The ministry has constituted 30,000 Yuva Tourism Clubs till date, it said, adding that it proposes to increase the number to 50,000 in the 100 days starting May 1.

Modi has mentioned tourism from time to time on “Mann ki Baat”.

Woman goes into labour at Mann Ki Baat conclave

Poonam Devi, a member of a self-help group in Uttar Pradesh who was rushed to a hospital after she went into labour pain while attending the Mann Ki Baat @100 Conclave in New Delhi, gave birth to a baby boy.

The 24-year-old woman had travelled to the national capital from Samaisa village near Lakhimpur Kheri as a special invitee as Modi had mentioned her achievements in creating additional sources of income for women in one of the episodes of Mann Ki Baat, his monthly radio programme.

Jamia vice chancellor lauds Mann ki Baat

Jamia Millia Islamia vice chancellor praised the programme saying that it has been a “game-changer” from everyone and has become the cornerstone of Indian broadcasting.

Najma Akhtar made the remark during an event where she released the special issue of the Journal ‘Media Mimansa’ on “Mann ki Baat” at MF Husain Art Gallery of the university, according to a statement.