Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s radio show Mann Ki Baat is set to complete a hundred episodes today. It first started airing in October 2014.
In the last eight-and-a-half years, the most touched upon topics including yoga, women-led initiatives, youth and cleanliness.
The sacrifices and valour of Indian soldiers, cultural heritage, the stories of Padma awardees, science and environment and khadi have also been spoken about at length on several occasions, as per the transcripts of the episodes.
There is a marked difference in the subjects covered during the Prime Minister’s first and second term. While the episodes broadcast between 2014 and 2019 were more general and motivational in nature, the subsequent episodes projected a lot of government policies and initiatives.
The two years of Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns — 2020 and 2021 — almost all episodes had a capsule on health-related concerns, such as following Covid-appropriate behavior, vaccinations, lockdowns and consequent reopening.
