New Delhi: India’s digital transformation has been lauded by many countries, which are showing interest in the country’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and the eSanjeevani telemedicine consultation app, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday in his monthly radio broadcast.
“Now, people of Singapore and India are transferring money from their mobile phones in the same way as they do within their respective countries,” Modi said in the latest edition of Mann ki Baat. “I am glad that people have started taking advantage of it. Be it India’s eSanjeevani app or UPI, these have proved to be very helpful in raising the ease of living.”
The Prime Minister was referring to the recent bilateral agreement that enables India’s UPI and Singapore’s PayNow to conduct seamless money transfer, saying that the pact will boost ease of living through digital technology.
The eSanjeevani app for online medical consultations has become a lifesaver for the common man, Modi said. “e-Sanjeevani is becoming a lifesaving app for the common man of the country, for the middle class, for the people living in hilly areas. This is the power of India’s digital revolution,” he said.
The country has seen that at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, the eSanjeevani app proved to be a great boon for the people, he said. “Through this app, teleconsultation, that is, while sitting far away, through videoconference, you can consult a doctor about your illness. Till now, the number of teleconsultants using this app has crossed the figure of 10 crores. This amazing bond between a patient and a doctor is a big achievement. For this achievement, I congratulate all the doctors and patients who have availed of this facility. This is a living example of how the people of India have made technology a part of their lives,” Modi said.
The Prime Minister spoke to a doctor and a patient to highlight how helpful the app has proved in providing medical consultations. “This is a big achievement. This is a living example of how the people of India have made technology a part of their lives. We have seen that in the time of corona, the eSanjeevani app has proved to be a great boon for the people,” he said.
Modi further highlighted the cleanliness exercises adopted by people in different parts of the country to say that Swachh Bharat (Clean India) has become a mass movement. “If we resolve, we can make a huge contribution towards a clean India. At least, we all should take a pledge to replace plastic bags with cloth bags. You will see how much satisfaction your resolution will give you, and also inspire other people,” he said.
The Prime Minister also referred to Indian toys in his broadcast. “Nowadays, Indian toys have become such a craze that their demand has increased even in foreign countries,” Modi said. “When we spoke of the Indian genre of storytelling in Mann ki Baat, their fame also reached far and wide. People started getting attracted to the Indian storytelling genre more and more.”
Highlighting that on Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary on October 31, now observed as Unity Day, three competitions related to patriotic songs, lullabies and rangoli were started, Modi said over five lakh people from more than 700 districts have participated.
The Prime Minister also discussed some of the winning entries in the radio programme, including the ones who received the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar. “I hope that all these artists will continue to inspire everyone at the grassroots towards making performing arts more popular,” he said.
Remembering legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, the Prime Minister said, “Friends, today on this occasion, it is very natural for me to remember Lata Mangeshkar ji, Lata Didi. Because on the day this competition started, Lata didi had urged the countrymen by tweeting that they must join in this endeavour.”
He mentioned Joydeep Mukherjee, a classical instrumentalist who plays the sursinger and was recently conferred with the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, an award for emerging artistes.
“Joydeep ji is among the youth honoured with the Ustad Bismillah Khan Award. It had become rare to hear tunes of this instrument since the late 50s and 60s. But Joydeep is persevering towards making the sursingar popular once again. Similarly, the efforts of sister Uppalpu Nagmani ji are also very inspiring, who has been awarded in the category of carnatic instrumental on the mandolin,” Modi said.