India’s ‘nari shakti’ touching new heights in every field: PM in Mann Ki Baat

New Delhi, Feb 25 (PTI) Days ahead of International Women's Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed 'nari shakti' and said it is touching new heights of progress in every field.

In the 110th episode of his monthly radio broadcast 'Mann Ki Baat', Modi said International Women's Day on March 8 is an opportunity to salute the contribution of woman power to the country's developmental journey.

"Great poet Bharatiyar ji has said that the world will prosper only when women get equal opportunities. Today the 'nari shakti' (women power) of India is touching new heights of progress in every field," the prime minister said.

Who would have thought till a few years ago that in India, women living in villages too would fly drones, he said.

"But today this is becoming possible. Today there is so much discussion about Drone Didi in every village. 'Namo Drone Didi, Namo Drone Didi' is on everyone's lips," he said.

The prime minister also spoke to 'Drone Didi' Sunita from Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur.

She talked about her drone training and how it helps in farming.

"Today there is no region in the country where woman power has lagged behind. Another area where women have demonstrated their leadership abilities is natural farming, water conservation and sanitation," he said.

The 'matrishakti' of the country is playing a big role in saving Mother Earth who is suffering pain and hardships due to chemicals, he said.

"Women are now extending natural farming to every corner of the country. Today, if so much work is being done in the country under the Jal Jeevan Mission, water committees have had a big role to play in it. The leadership of these water committees lies only with women," Modi pointed out.

Apart from this, sisters and daughters are making all-out efforts for water conservation, he said.

Modi also spoke with Kalyani Prafulla Patil from Maharashtra and lauded her work in moving towards natural farming.

"Whether it is Sunita ji or Kalyani ji, the success of woman power in myriad fields is very inspiring. I once again appreciate this spirit of our woman power from the core of my heart," the prime minister said.

In his broadcast, Modi also talked about the increasing importance of technology in people's lives.

"Mobile phones and digital gadgets have become an important part of everyone's life... with the help of digital gadgets, we are now getting help in creating a balance with wild animals," he said.

The prime minister noted that a few days later, on March 3, it is 'World Wildlife Day', and said this day is celebrated with the aim of spreading awareness on the conservation of wild animals.

"This year, digital innovation has been kept paramount in the theme of World Wildlife Day. You will be happy to know that technology is being used extensively for the conservation of wildlife in different parts of our country," Modi said.

During the last few years, the number of tigers in the country has increased due to the government's efforts, he noted.

"The number of tigers in the tiger reserve of Chandrapur, Maharashtra has risen to more than 250," he said.

"The help of artificial intelligence is being taken to reduce conflict between humans and tigers in Chandrapur district. Cameras have been installed on the border of villages and the forest. Whenever a tiger comes near a village, local people get an alert on their mobile phones with the help of AI," the prime minister said.

Today, this system has ensured convenience to the people in the 13 villages around this tiger reserve and the tigers have also got protection, he said.

Modi noted that young entrepreneurs are also working on new innovations for wildlife conservation and eco-tourism.

In Uttarakhand's Roorkee, Rotor Precision Group in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India has developed a drone which is helping keep an eye on the crocodiles in the Ken river, he said.

Similarly, Modi said, a Bengaluru company has created two mobile apps -- Bagheera and Garuda.

With the Bagheera app, the speed of a vehicle and other activities can be monitored during a jungle safari, and the Garuda app uses artificial intelligence and Internet of Things to provide real-time alerts when connected to any CCTV, Modi said.

With every such effort towards wildlife conservation, the country's biodiversity is becoming richer, he added.

In his address, Modi also talked about the voice of the youth creating content which he said has become very effective today.

"To honour their talent, the National Creators Award has been started in the country. Under this, preparations are being made to honour those change makers in different categories who are using technology to become effective voices of social change," Modi said.

"This contest is running on MyGov (portal) and I would urge content creators to join it. If you also know such interesting content creators, then definitely nominate them for the National Creators Award," he said. PTI