'Mann Ki Baat' marks 10 years, PM Modi to host 114th episode

New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS) The radio programme "Mann Ki Baat," addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked its 10th anniversary on Sunday.Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to host the 114th episode of the popular radio programme at 11 A.M. later in the day."Mann Ki Baat" will be aired across Akashvani’s entire network, Doordarshan, the All India Radio (AIR) News website, and the Newsonair mobile app. Listeners can also tune in to PM Modi's thoughts via YouTube.Taking this to social media, PMO India posted on X, "Today’s MannKiBaat is special as it marks the completion of ten years of this iconic programme. Do tune in at 11 A.M. today!"First aired on October 3, 2014, "Mann Ki Baat" is a platform where Prime Minister Modi addresses the nation, discussing key issues and sharing thoughts on topics of national importance. As of August 25, 2024, it had aired 113 episodes.

Given that television is not yet widely available in the country, particularly in remote rural areas, AIR was chosen as the official medium to ensure wider outreach. Radio remains a more accessible and affordable form of communication in India.In January 2015, former US President Barack Obama made a special appearance on "Mann Ki Baat" during his visit to India for the Republic Day Parade.

In the first 15 episodes alone, the "Mann Ki Baat" website received over 61,000 ideas from the public, from which select ideas were chosen for the monthly broadcast.Each episode typically runs between 20 to 30 minutes. Notably, in 2018, only two episodes were aired, one focussing on Yoga and the other on the Constitution of India.

A 2017 survey by AIR revealed that "Mann Ki Baat" had the highest listenership in Bihar, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh, while Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh recorded the lowest awareness.To enhance its reach, since 2017, "Mann Ki Baat" has also been available in regional dialects.