Mann Ki Baat Episode 134: PM Modi's Most Inspiring Address Yet Covered Athletes, Lost Heritage and a 13-Hour Dolphin Rescue

On the morning of May 31, 2026, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sat down for the 134th episode of Mann Ki Baat and what came through was not a political speech. It never really is. It was something more like a national conversation, the kind a thoughtful leader has with a country that is quietly doing remarkable things in places most news cameras never reach.

The monthly radio programme, airing on Akashvani and broadcast simultaneously across Doordarshan and every major digital platform, has been running since October 2014. Twelve years in, and Mann Ki Baat remains one of the most listened-to public outreach formats in India. This episode was no exception.

Why Mann Ki Baat Episode 134 Stands Out

Most months, the programme touches three or four themes. This episode felt denser. More personal. PM Modi moved from athletics to archaeology to environmental rescue to grassroots community service without losing the thread. The common element across all of it was ordinary people doing extraordinary things — and that, historically, is what this programme does best.

It is worth paying attention to not just as a political broadcast, but as a window into what the government considers important enough to talk about, what stories it wants amplified, and what it believes citizens need to hear.

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Breaking National Records and the Rise of Indian Athletics

The episode opened on a note of athletic pride. PM Modi spoke at length about the National Senior Athletics Federation Competition held in Ranchi, Jharkhand, where four national records were broken across different events. He personally congratulated athletes Gurindervir Singh, Animesh Kujur, Vishak TK, Tejaswin Shankar, Dev Meena, and Kuldeep Kumar for their performances.

The Prime Minister called it remarkable that the national record in the men's 100-metre sprint was broken not once but three times within two days a detail that carries real weight in the context of Indian athletics. Around 800 athletes from across India participated in the competition. Modi spoke directly to Gurindervir Singh and Animesh Kujur during the broadcast, calling their work "exemplary" and expressing confidence that they would take India to new heights in international competition.

Animesh Kujur, from a small village in Jashpur, Chhattisgarh, clocked 10.15 seconds in the 100-metre event — setting a new national record and qualifying for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

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Chola-Era Copper Plates Return From Netherlands: A Cultural Repatriation

One of the most discussed moments of Mann Ki Baat 134 was the Prime Minister's reflection on the return of ancient Chola-era copper plates from the Netherlands during his recent visit to the country. The artefacts were formally handed over at a ceremony attended by the Dutch Prime Minister a moment PM Modi described as one of quiet national pride.

The copper plates are linked to Rajendra Chola I and contain inscriptions mentioning the donation of the village of Anaimangalam to a Buddhist monastery. They offer rare documented insight into the Chola Empire's maritime strength, governance systems, and cultural connections with Southeast Asia. PM Modi noted that the return of such heritage resonated deeply with Tamil communities around the world.

He also highlighted the discovery of rare copper plates in Chhattisgarh, approximately 1,400 to 1,500 years old, uncovered under the Gyan Bharatam Abhiyan — an initiative focused on documenting India's ancient intellectual heritage.

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India's First Ganga Dolphin Rescue Ambulance Saves a Life

If one story from this episode deserves a documentary, it is the Ganga dolphin rescue in Uttar Pradesh. PM Modi described how a team spent nearly 13 hours carefully rescuing a Gangetic dolphin that had become trapped in a canal. The operation involved India's first Ganga Dolphin Rescue Ambulance, built under the Namami Gange Mission and ultimately succeeded.

He urged viewers watching on television to seek out the video, calling it both moving and instructive. The dolphin, he said, is not just an animal but an indicator species its health reflects the overall health of the Ganga river system.

Heatwave Warning, Water Conservation and Citizen Stories

With large parts of India experiencing intense summer heat, PM Modi used the episode to urge citizens to stay hydrated, reduce sun exposure during peak hours, and follow directions from health and disaster management agencies. It was practical, unambiguous public health communication delivered through a trusted medium.

He also highlighted several individuals who are changing their communities in quiet but lasting ways. Saji Valasseril of Aluva, Kerala, has trained over 15,000 people to swim including differently-abled children in a river-based programme that charges no fees and uses no formal infrastructure. Akash Gupta of Basti, Uttar Pradesh, led a community effort to clean the Manorama River of plastic and water hyacinths. Balkrishna Aiya, a retired teacher from Goa, contributed to laying water pipelines to address local scarcity. And Girija Amma of Tamil Nadu inspired schoolchildren to contribute Re 1 daily for soldiers, collectively raising around Rs 40 lakh.

PM Modi also encouraged young people to visit planetariums and astronomy clubs during school vacations, mentioning organisations like the Bangalore Astronomical Society, Astro Kerala, and Jyotirvidya Parisanstha by name.

And in a lighter aside, he spoke about India's beloved mangoes naming varieties like Hapus, Kesar, Dasheri, and Langda as summer staples that connect people across regions and seasons.

Closing Thoughts

Mann Ki Baat has always been something of an odd artefact in modern political communication a radio programme in an age of reels and podcasts, delivered to an audience that spans villages without internet and cities without patience. And yet it persists. Not because it is compelled to, but because the format allows for something quieter than a press conference and more personal than a policy announcement.

Episode 134 covered more ground than most. Athletes breaking records. Artefacts returning home after centuries. A dolphin rescued with a new kind of ambulance. Teachers turning rivers into classrooms. These are not small stories. They are the country, described in its own voice.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on information available across the web. Parchar Manch does not take responsibility for its complete accuracy, as the content could not be fully verified.