Lauds efforts to spread Indian culture, languages globally
STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India’s achievements in the field of science, innovations and the expansion of technology have greatly impressed countries across the globe and the whole world is is looking at the country with great hope because of its “youth power”.
In his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ radio broadcast, Modi also said that on January 12, the ‘National Youth Day’ will be celebrated on Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary when a ‘Young Leaders Dialogue’ will also be organised.
“Today, the world is looking at India with great hope. The biggest reason for hope in India is our youth power. Our achievements in the field of science, new innovations, and the expansion of technology have greatly impressed countries around the world,” he noted.
Modi said the youth of India always have a passion for something new and are equally aware. He said many youth often ask him how they can further contribute to nation-building and share their ideas.
He said answer to this curiosity of the youth is the ‘Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue’, whose first edition was held last year.
“On the 12th of next month, ‘National Youth Day’ will be celebrated on the occasion of Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary. A ‘Young Leaders Dialogue’ will also be held on this day, and I will certainly participate in that. In this, our youth will share their ideas on important topics like innovation, fitness, start ups, and agriculture. I am very eager about this programme,” he said.
The prime minister said today the youth in the country are getting new opportunities to showcase their talent and many platforms are being developed where they can showcase their talent as per their abilities and interests.
He said one such platform is ‘Smart India Hackathon’, another medium where ideas are turned into action.
“The ‘Smart India Hackathon 2025’ concluded this month. During this hackathon, students worked on more than 270 problems of more than 80 government departments. Students offered solutions which were related to real life challenges like traffic-related problems,” he said.
Modi said over 13 lakh students and over 6,000 institutes have participated in the ‘Smart India Hackathon’ in the last seven to eight years.
Youth have also provided accurate solutions to hundreds of problems, he said while urging the youth to be a part of these hackathons that are organised from time to time.
The prime minister said the youth also put forward their ideas on solutions to challenges like financial frauds, digital arrests and suggestions were extended on Cyber Security Framework for digital banking in villages.
Many youth remained engaged in solving the challenges in the agriculture sector, he added.
The Prime Minister Narendra lauded efforts being made in Fiji to connect the new generation with Tamil language.
He also hailed the efforts by Kannada families living in Dubai to start ‘Kannada Pathsala’ to teach their children the language.
“I now want to share with you about an endeavour taken thousands of kilometres away from India, which is heart-touching. In Fiji, a commendable initiative is being taken to spread Indian language and culture. Continuous efforts are being made at many levels to connect the new generation there with Tamil language,” he said.
The prime minister said last month, Tamil Day was celebrated for the first time in a school in Raki-Raki in Fiji, giving children a platform to openly express pride in their language.
“Children recited poems in Tamil, gave speeches, and confidently showcased their culture on stage,” he said.
He said continuous work is also being done within the country to promote the Tamil language.
Modi said a few days ago, the fourth ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’ was held in his parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, and played an audio clip in which children of the city spoke fluently in Tamil.
“Their mother tongue is Hindi, but their love for the Tamil language inspired them to learn Tamil,” he said.
During the ‘Kashi Tamil Sangamam’ in Varanasi this year, special emphasis was placed on learning Tamil and under the theme of ‘Learn Tamil – Tamil Karakalam’, special campaigns were also run in more than 50 schools in Varanasi.
Highlighting how efforts are being made to stay connected to roots by Indians living abroad, he said in Dubai, Kannada families living there asked themselves an important question: our children are moving ahead in the tech world, but aren’t they moving away from their language?
“This is where ‘Kannada Pathshale’ was born. An initiative where children are taught to teach, learn, write, and speak Kannada. Today, more than a thousand children are associated with it. Truly, Kannada Nadu, Nudi Namma Hemme. (The land and language of Kannada are our pride),” he added.
