‘Mann Ki Baat’: PM Modi calls Gen-Z the ‘greatest strength of Viksit Bharat’

PM Narendra Modi, in the 128th Mann Ki Baat episode, hailed India’s Gen-Z as the biggest strength of Viksit Bharat, citing their resilience in ISRO’s Mars-like drone challenge and linking it to the spirit that turned Chandrayaan-2’s setback into Chandrayaan-3’s success.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the determination of the country’s Gen-Z is the greatest strength of ‘Viksit Bharat’.

Addressing the 128th episode of his monthly radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’, PM Modi said, “If there is determination in the heart, faith in the collective strength to work as a team, if there is the courage to fall and then rise again, then success is guaranteed even in the difficult times.”

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“Imagine that era when there were no satellites, GPS or navigation facilities, even then our sailors would take large ships into the ocean and reach their destinations. Now, going beyond the seas, countries of the world are measuring the infinite expanse of space. The challenge remains the same — no GPS or any communication, then how would we move forward?” he said.

Recalling an instance, the Prime Minister said that he saw a viral video on social media from ISRO’s drone competition, where Gen-Z showcased their skills. “In this video, the youth of our country, especially our Gen-Z, were trying to fly drones in conditions similar to those on Mars. The drones would take off, stay stable for a while and then suddenly crash on the ground,” he said.

“Do you know why? This is because these drones had absolutely no GPS support. GPS is not possible on Mars. So the drone cannot receive any external signal or guidance. The drone had to fly using its cameras and built-in software. The small drone had to identify the patterns on the ground, measure the altitude, understand obstacles and find a safe landing path on its own. That is why the drones kept crashing one after another,” he added.

PM Modi said that in this competition, a team of youth from Pune achieved some success when, even after their drone fell many times and crashed, they did not give up, and after repeated attempts, their drone finally managed to fly for some time in Mars-like conditions. While watching this video, the Prime Minister said that he was reminded of the day when Chandrayaan-2 lost communication.

“That day, the entire nation, and especially our scientists, felt disappointed for a few moments. However, this failure did not stop them. On that very day, they started writing the success story of Chandrayaan-3. This is the reason that when Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed, it was not just a success of the mission but the triumph of confidence that was born out of failure,” he said.

“In this video, I could see the same spark in the eyes of these youths. Every time I see the dedication of our youth and the commitment of our scientists, my heart fills with enthusiasm. The determination of our youth is the greatest strength of ‘Viksit Bharat’,” he added.