Modernisation in agriculture need of the hour: Modi in Mann Ki Baat

News Network
March 28, 2021

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New Delhi, Mar 28: Modernisation in the agriculture sector is the need of the hour as already a lot of time has been lost, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

In his monthly Mann Ki Baat programme, Modi also hailed the world's largest vaccination programme being carried out in India against Covid-19 and stressed on "dawai bhi, kadai bhi" (medicines as well as strict preventive measures).

Asserting that adopting modern practices in the agriculture sector is imperative, he said in every aspect of life newness, modernisation is essential.

"In India's agriculture sector, modernisation is the need of the hour. It has been delayed and we have already lost a lot of time," the prime minister said in his 75th episode of Mann Ki Baat.

"In order to create new employment opportunities in the agriculture sector, to increase farmers' income, it is equally important to adopt new alternatives, innovations along with traditional agricultural practices," he said.

The country has witnessed this during the white revolution and bee farming is also emerging as one such alternative, he said.

The prime minister's call for embracing modern practices in agriculture comes at a time when hundreds of farmers have been camping at Delhi's border points at Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri since November last year demanding that the Centre repeal the three contentious farm laws.

The government has maintained that these reform laws will boost farmers' income by bringing investment, modern practices and allow them to sell their produce anywhere across the country at the best prices.

During his radio broadcast, Modi also recalled that in March last year the nation first heard about the Janata curfew.

The Janata curfew was imposed on March 22 last year on the prime minister's appeal.

"From very early on, the people of India have put up a spirited fight against Covid-19," he asserted.

Noting that around this time last year, the question was whether there would be a vaccine for Covid-19 and by when would it be rolled out, Modi said it was a matter of pride that the world's largest vaccination drive is underway in India.

Modi also said that India's 'Nari Shakti' is excelling in the sports field and lauded the recent sporting feats of cricketer Mithali Raj and shuttler P V Sindhu.

On Mann Ki Baat completing 75 episodes, Modi said it seems like just yesterday when in 2014 "we began this journey" and thanked all the listeners.

"During Mann Ki Baat, we have discussed a wide range of subjects. We all have learnt so much. Diverse topics have been covered," he said.

Mann Ki Baat completes 75 episodes at a time when India is looking forward to marking our 'Amrut Mahotsav', Modi said underlining the importance of the celebrations of 75 years of Independence.

"The sacrifices of our great freedom fighters must inspire us to think about our duties as a citizen. This is something Mahatma Gandhi talked about extensively," he said. 

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ABBASBHAI
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Thursday, 8 Apr 2021

Pisa. Khamana. Ahi. Bas

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News Network
November 28,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 28: Karnataka Health Minister and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Friday handed over Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting the severe distress faced by farmers due to crashing crop prices.

PM Modi arrived at the Mangaluru International Airport en route to Udupi, where Gundu Rao welcomed him and submitted the letter. The chief minister’s message stressed that farmers are suffering heavy losses because maize and green gram are being bought far below the Minimum Support Price (MSP). The state urged the Centre to immediately begin procurement at MSP.

According to the letter, Karnataka has a bumper harvest this year—over 54.74 lakh metric tons of maize and 1.98 lakh metric tons of green gram—yet farmers are unable to secure fair prices. Against the MSP of ₹2,400/MT for maize and ₹8,768/MT for green gram, market rates have plunged to ₹1,600–₹1,800 and ₹5,400 respectively.

The chief minister has requested the Centre to:

• Direct NAFED, FCI and NCCF to start MSP procurement immediately.
• Ensure ethanol units purchase maize directly from farmers or FPOs.
• Increase Karnataka’s ethanol allocation, citing high production capacity.
• Stop maize imports, which have depressed domestic prices.
• Relax quality norms for green gram, allowing up to 10% discoloration due to rains.

The letter stresses that MSP is crucial for farmer dignity and income stability and calls for swift central intervention to prevent a deepening crisis.

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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News Network
November 22,2025

The Karnataka government has announced a 50% rebate on pending traffic and transport fines. The discount is available from November 21 to December 12.

The rebate applies to all traffic e-challans and violation cases booked by the RTO between 1991–92 and 2019–20. Officials clarified that the offer is not applicable to pending tax dues and is restricted only to traffic-violation fines.

Across Karnataka, more than 4 lakh RTO cases remain pending, including those involving transport vehicles. While thousands of vehicle owners have already cleared their dues, the department expects to generate substantial revenue through this limited-period rebate.

How to Pay and Avail the Discount

There are three ways to check and pay your pending fines:

1. Through Mobile Apps
Available on both Play Store and App Store:
•    Karnataka State Police (KSP) app
•    KarnatakaOne app
•    ASTraM app

Steps:
•    Enter your vehicle number in any of the above apps
•    Verify the photo/details of your vehicle
•    Pay the fine with the 50% discount applied

2. Visit a Traffic Police Station

You can pay your pending fine at any nearby traffic police station.

3. Visit the Traffic Management Centre (TMC)

•    Location: First Floor, Infantry Road, near Indian Express, Bengaluru

Transport Commissioner Yogeesh A M said, “We don't issue e-challans, so there's no online payment system.”

The department estimates ₹52 crore in pending RTO fines up to March 2020. “With the 50% rebate, we expect to collect around ₹25 crore if all dues are cleared,” he added.

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