When Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, started his monthly radio programme, ‘Mann ki Baat’ on 3 October, he wanted to have a platform where he could directly connect with people and talk to them of issues close to his heart. In April 2023, he completed 100 episodes of this programme through which he brought to the fore some inspiring work done by ordinary citizens of India, for India. He also spoke of remarkable achievements by individuals and organisations. People who overcame disability, poverty and discouragement to scale great heights. People who gathered others around them by their own passion and convictions and motivated them to achieve impossible goals. Amar Chitra Katha along with the Ministry of Culture presents the first of a 12-comic series based on a selection of stories from ‘Mann ki Baat’.

In October 1947, two months after he became independent India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru wrote the first of his fortnightly letters to the heads of the country’s provincial governments—a tradition he kept until a few months before his death. This carefully selected collection covers a range of themes and subjects, including citizenship, war and peace, law and order, governance and corruption, and India’s place in the world. The letters also cover momentous world events and the many crises the country faced during the first sixteen years after Independence. Visionary, wise and reflective, these letters are of great contemporary relevance for the guidance they provide for our current problems and predicaments.

This book is a collection of articles published by the author over a period of time. Much of his writing reflects the social, political and economic issues that have emerged over the years and impacted India’s politics and governance. Given his special interest in the working of the constitution, and the march of democracy since independence, the book contains chapters which specifically deal with constitutional issues, the working of parliament, the system of justice, the executive and the media. The author feels that negating the facts of history has been a major pastime of the Nehruvian and Marxist schools and that the distortions introduced by these schools need to be challenged and corrected in the current phase of national politics. This is reflected in his articles which deal with the running secular versus pseudo-secular debate as also the political battles being fought on what is ‘national’ and what is ‘anti-national’. In any case, whatever the issue and however intense the debate, he is firmly of the view that it must all happen within the parameters of the constitution.

A BOOK THAT CAPTURES THE IMPACT OF THE RADIO SHOW MANN KI BAAT AMONG PEOPLE AND THE NATION. Igniting Collective Goodness: MannKiBaat@100 is a journey towards kindling the collective consciousness of the people. As the monthly radio broadcast by Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached its milestone 100th episode in April 2023, leaving an indelible mark on the airwaves and igniting a social revolution across India, this book invites readers to delve into the captivating conversations that have touched the lives of millions. The book encapsulates the spirit of this transformative programme, its impact and the visionary ideas it propounded, shaping the social fabric of India. It transcends politics and manifests as a heartfelt connection between the people and their leader. Igniting Collective Goodness seeks to explore life journeys, initiatives and milestones that have made the radio broadcast a force for positive change. Divided into three sections—each dealing with an aspect of nation-building powered by democratic conversations, social reforms and changing mindsets—the book contains a mosaic of experiences that have shaped the essence of the programme. This book is a powerful showcase of how collective effort strengthens the foundations of the nation, fostering unity and citizen participation, thereby helping realise the transformative power of Jan Bhagidari.

In 2014, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched a monthly radio program, Mann Ki Baat. In a world dominated by social media and television, it seemed a strange choice. Little did the world realize what a masterstroke it was. By 2023, when he completed his hundredth episode, 1 billion people had listened to the show at least once! In this book, researchers from IIT Madras use policy advocacy frameworks and systems theory to analyze Mann Ki Baat and demonstrate that it has gone beyond being just a radio show to being a ‘life-centric living system’. Mann Ki Baat has empowered citizens and brought about transformational capacity of people in India. The book also presents a case study of how the IIT Madras ecosystem has built transformational capacity around innovation and entrepreneurship.