Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday thanked citizens of the country for supporting his appeals, such as curbing fuel consumption and avoiding foreign travel, made in view of the West Asia crisis; and underlined the role of public participation in nation-building.
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“In view of the prevalent war-like situation in West Asia, I had urged countrymen on a few points. I had asked people to avoid buying gold for some time, as far as possible. I urged people to avoid holidaying abroad and encouraged carpooling… Friends, I am grateful to every citizen of the country; not only have they supported my appeal, they are also actively cooperating in every way,” Modi said, while addressing the nation during the 135th episode of his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio broadcast.
He further shared that many families had taken to social media to write about postponing their foreign trips and deferring gold purchases for weddings.
The prime minister’s remarks follow a series of appeals he had made earlier this year amid rising tensions in West Asia, in which he urged citizens to prioritize working from home, cut fuel consumption, avoid foreign travel for a year, adopt Swadeshi products, reduce cooking oil use, shift to natural farming, and curb gold purchases.
Recalling the first six months of 2026, the PM highlighted several milestones achieved under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, citing the first flight of the indigenously manufactured C-295 aircraft that will boost domestic aerospace manufacturing abilities.
Modi noted that in June, the country achieved a major success in the aviation sector with the manufacturing of the C-295 aircraft in India. “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,” he added.
The first made-in-India C-295 military transport aircraft successfully completed its maiden flight on June 10. The Indian Air Force (IAF) is procuring 56 C-295 transport aircraft at a cost of around ₹21,935 crore.
The prime minister also lauded India’s performance at the World Yogasana Championship, where the country topped the medals tally with 114 medals, including 102 gold medals. Referring to the International Day of Yoga on June 21, he said diverse yoga programmes were held at more than 2,500 places around the world, drawing the participation of crores of people.
Highlighting the importance of social security initiatives, Modi praised a family in Maharashtra’s Nanded district that arranged accident insurance cover of ₹1 lakh each for around 3,500 villagers during a wedding celebration. He linked the initiative to the Centre’s insurance schemes, saying that over 580 million people had enrolled under the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and more than 270 million under the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, with thousands of crores already disbursed to beneficiary families.
The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of scientific thinking while cautioning against superstition. He praised conservationist Purnima Devi Barman and Assam’s “Hargila Army” for transforming public perceptions about the endangered greater adjutant stork through awareness and community participation.
To promote sports among young people, Modi highlighted Nagaland’s Baby League football tournament for children and the Nagaland Women Futsal League, describing them as models for nurturing sporting talent from an early age.
Modi also spoke about the revival of an ancient tradition by Nalanda University—the tradition of ‘Shastrarth’. He said ‘Shastrarth’ is not merely a means to express one’s own views, but a disciplined process of debate, dialogue, and deliberation.
He welcomed the Central Sanskrit University’s decision to launch a B.Tech programme in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, saying it would help integrate modern technology with India’s traditional knowledge systems and support the development of AI tools for Indian languages.
The prime minister also highlighted efforts to preserve India’s cultural heritage and environment. He appreciated a group in the Dominican Republic studying Vedic literature, lauded Meghalaya’s centuries-old living root bridges—for which India has sought UNESCO World Heritage recognition—and praised women in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district for converting plastic waste into eco-bricks.
With Ganesh Utsav approaching in the coming months, Modi urged people to buy eco-friendly clay idols made by local artisans instead of Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols, saying the decision would protect water bodies while strengthening the “Vocal for Local” campaign.
Concluding his address, Modi urged citizens to conserve every drop of rainwater, calling for renewed public participation in the union government’s “Catch the Rain” campaign to strengthen water conservation efforts across the country. “Water conservation is a must! We must save every single drop of rainwater. We cannot let the momentum of the ‘Catch the Rain’ campaign slacken in the slightest. So, I urge you specially: let us come together to save every drop of rain,” he said.
