Omicron, CDS Bipin Rawat: Highlights of PM Modi’s Mann Ki Baat speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave this year’s final ‘Mann Ki Baat’ address to the nation on Sunday morning and spoke on key topics like India’s fight against COVID-19 and ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’. Sunday’s address was the 84th edition of the conversation delivered by the Prime Minister.

Here are the highlights of the speech:

-PM Modi opened the speech by recognising India’s effort in fighting the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and said that people have stuck together like family during this period.

Also Read: PM Modi pays tribute to Group Captain Varun Singh in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ address

-While speaking about pandemic, he moved on to caution Indians about the spread of the omicron variant of coronavirus. According to India’s health ministry, 422 cases of omicron have been detected in the country so far.

-“As the new COVID-19 variant, omicron enters India, we have to be more careful & keep following COVID-19-appropriate behaviour at all times. As we get ready to enter the new year we have to pledge to multiply our efforts to fight coronavirus”, he said in the address.

-PM Modi moved on to honour the memory of Indian CDS Bipin Rawat, who died in a helicopter crash earlier this month. He also spoke about Group Captain Varun Singh, who was also present in the aircraft. 

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-“Group Captain Varun Singh was flying ill-fated helicopter that crashed in TN this month, in this crash we lost the first CDS of our country Gen Rawat, his wife & several others. Varun himself bravely battled with death for many days but then he also left us”, PM Modi said. “This year in August only, he was awarded the Shaurya Chakra, after this award, he had written a letter to his school principal”, he added.

-The address also included appreciation about the SAAF-Water campaign, an initiative that has used artificial intelligence and IoT to enable people to drink clean water.