NEW DELHI: Villagers in Uttarakhand’s Tehri Garhwal region have earned praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for joining hands with the local administration to revive the Heval river, whose water levels had fallen, and restore dozens of natural water sources in the area.
In his 139th episode of Mann Ki Baat on Sunday, Modi highlighted the community-led effort, which involved rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and large-scale tree planting. He said the initiative showed how collective action could help protect local water resources.
“Our ancestors taught us that maintaining cleanliness in our surroundings and caring for water sources is our own responsibility,” Modi said, citing the initiative as an example of how collective action can bring change.
He also urged people to maintain cleanliness in their neighbourhoods ahead of Diwali and Chhath, saying small individual efforts could make a significant difference.
The Prime Minister also spoke about the growing reach of digital healthcare, saying the government’s e-Sanjeevani telemedicine platform had facilitated nearly 50 crore consultations. He cited examples of patients in remote parts of the country who received medical advice through the service, including a child from the Jarawa tribe in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands who was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Other cases included a man in Lakshadweep who received medical guidance from a doctor in Kavaratti and a pregnant woman in Ladakh who obtained specialist assistance through the platform.
Modi said nearly 1.9 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs across the country were helping people in rural areas access healthcare and undergo regular health check-ups.
Highlighting advances in scientific research, he spoke about the Sudha Gopalakrishnan Brain Centre at IIT Madras, which he inaugurated during his recent visit to Chennai. The centre is developing high-resolution, digital three-dimensional images of the human brain, with a mission to map and study 100 human brains in detail using the Param Shakti supercomputer.
The resulting data will be made available as an open-source resource for research, he said, adding that a deeper understanding of the brain could help advance research into conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, for which definitive cures remain unavailable.
Modi also highlighted the importance of organ donation, citing the family of Shivani from Narmadapuram in Madhya Pradesh, who donated her organs after she died in a road accident. He said such decisions could help save lives and support medical research.
The address also focused on traditional livelihoods and local products. In Punjab’s Malwa region, the Kheti Virasat Mission’s Nav-Trinjan initiative is promoting organic cotton, including naturally coloured varieties that reduce the need for chemical dyes. A weaving school set up under the initiative has trained women who are now producing textiles from indigenous cotton.
Modi cited examples of women who had moved from agricultural labour and domestic work to weaving, saying the initiative had helped them develop skills and support their households.
He also pointed to efforts to expand markets for local products, citing makhana from Purnia in Bihar reaching Greece and arhar dal from Kalaburagi in Karnataka being exported to the Maldives.
In Maharashtra, tribal products such as honey, mahua, chironji and bamboo-based items are being marketed under the Shabari Naturals initiative, with packaging inspired by tribal art receiving Japan’s Good Design Award. A start-up in Karnataka is also developing packaging material from bamboo and agricultural residue.
The Prime Minister said sales of Khadi Gram Udyog products exceeded Rs 28 crore on Gandhi Jayanti, an increase of Rs 1.5 crore over the previous year. He urged people to prioritise products made by local artisans during the festive season, linking such purchases to the broader ‘Vocal for Local’ movement.
He also drew attention to efforts to revive millet cultivation in the Northeast. In Meghalaya’s West Jaintia Hills, two women developed millet-based products such as cookies, cakes, muffins and baby food, helping increase demand for the crop. In Nagaland’s Kezoma village, where millet cultivation had stopped for more than a decade, the community resumed growing the crop in 2024 and held its first millet festival in 2025.
Modi said such initiatives showed how traditional crops and skills could create new livelihood opportunities while preserving local heritage.
The address also marked the contribution of Indian scientist Narinder Singh Kapany, widely known as the ‘Father of Fiber Optics’, ahead of his 100th birth anniversary on October 31. Modi urged young people to learn about scientists whose work helped shape modern communication.
He also recalled the contributions of freedom fighter Bhai Parmanand, whose 150th birth anniversary will be observed on November 4, and encouraged young people to learn about the sacrifices made during India’s freedom struggle.
