Individual Alertness, Discipline India's 'Big Strength' In Fight Against Omicron: PM

Amid rising Covid cases linked to Omicron, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said individual alertness and discipline are a big strength of the country in the fight against the new variant of coronavirus. In his Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast, PM Modi said India has achieved "unprecedented feat" in its inoculation drive but cautioned against the new variant of the virus.

"Mann ki Baat" is the Prime Minister's monthly radio address, which is broadcast on the last Sunday of every month. The programme will be broadcast on the entire network of AIR and Doordarshan and also on AIR News and mobile app.

Earlier, the Prime Minister had called citizens to share their views for this edition of 'Mann ki Baat'. Taking to Twitter, the Prime Minister had said, "I have been receiving several inputs for this month's Mann Ki Baat on the 26, which will be the last one of 2021. The inputs cover so many different areas and celebrate the life journeys of several people working to bring grassroots level changes. Keep sharing your views."

The first episode of the programme was broadcast on October 3, 2014.

Here are the Highlights from PM Modi's address:

• At this time you must be preparing to bid farewell to 2021 and welcome 2022.  On the New Year, every person, every organization, takes a resolution to do something better, to become better in the coming year.
• For the last seven years, our 'Mann Ki Baat' has also been inspiring us to do more good, to become better, by highlighting the goodness of the individual, of the society, of the country.
• For me, Mann Ki Baat is not about highlighting the work of the Government, which could have been easily done. Instead, it is about collective efforts by grassroots level change-makers.
• It is my experience of decades that away from the glare of the media, away from the headlines of the newspapers, there are many people who are doing great things.
• They are spending their today for the future of the country. They are working wholeheartedly today, on their efforts for the coming generations of the country. The words of such people are very comforting, deeply inspiring.
• India is fighting COVID-19 thanks to the spirited effort by our Jan Shakti. India's vaccination numbers are rising and this shows the innovative zeal of our scientists and the trust of our people.
• We have to keep taking precautions against COVID-19 in the wake of the new variant.
• A letter from Group Captain Varun Singh (who died days after battling for life after a helicopter crash that killed Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and 12 others on December 8) drew my attention and touched my heart. Group Captain Varun Singh had written that if he can inspire even a single student, that would also be a lot. But, today I would like to say - he has inspired the whole nation. His letter may only speak to the students, but he message to our entire society.
• Like every year, we will have Pariksha Pe Charcha early next year. We will yet again celebrate the special bonding. We will yet again celebrate the exams.