Mann Ki Baat 139th episode: Heval river, e-Sanjeevani, local exports
By Meera IyerGovernance & Policy Editor, Peepals Bharat
Representative image: lincerta / Pixabay
In the 139th Mann Ki Baat on October 25, 2026, PM Modi cited the Heval river revival, 50 crore e-Sanjeevani consultations and farm exports from Purnia and Kalaburagi.
What Happened
Prime Minister Narendra Modi broadcast the 139th episode of his monthly radio address, Mann Ki Baat, on Sunday, October 25, 2026. He used it to describe community projects and government services from several states: the revival of the Heval river in Uttarakhand's Tehri Garhwal district, an organic cotton and weaving effort in Punjab's Malwa region, millet revival in Meghalaya and Nagaland, farm products from Bihar and Karnataka reaching foreign buyers, and a milestone of about 50 crore tele-consultations on the e-Sanjeevani platform.
Key Facts
- The 139th Mann Ki Baat aired on October 25, 2026; the programme has run without a break for 12 years, according to coverage of the broadcast.
- The Prime Minister said: "Our country has had a tradition of pilgrimages for centuries. For me, 'Mann Ki Baat' is no less than a pilgrimage."
- In Tehri Garhwal, the local administration and villagers worked together on rainwater conservation, groundwater recharge and tree planting after the Heval river's water level fell; he said the river and dozens of natural springs had been revived.
- In Punjab's Malwa region, he praised the 'Nav-Trinjan' initiative backed by the Kheti Virasat Mission, which grows organic and naturally coloured cotton without chemicals and runs a weaving school for women.
- Under 'Vocal for Local', he said makhana from Purnia in Bihar is reaching Greece and arhar (tur) dal from Kalaburagi in Karnataka is going to the Maldives.
- He cited about 50 crore tele-consultations on e-Sanjeevani, community millet revival in Meghalaya and Nagaland, and brain-mapping research at IIT Madras.
- He paid tribute to Narinder Singh Kapany, known as the "Father of Fiber Optics", ahead of his 100th birth anniversary on October 31.
Why It Matters
Mann Ki Baat is not a policy announcement in the formal sense. No scheme is launched and no rule changes because of it. But the topics a Prime Minister picks for a national broadcast show which programmes the government wants citizens to notice, and they often push state administrations, district officials and ministries to highlight similar work. That is why a reader following governance should look at what was named, and what each item means on the ground.
The Heval river example is the most practical. It describes a model that any district can copy: the administration and villagers jointly conserving rainwater, recharging groundwater and planting trees in the catchment. The Prime Minister said the river had been revived and that dozens of natural water sources had also been restored. For hill districts where springs feed villages, this kind of joint campaign is usually cheaper than new pipelines, and the national mention may bring requests from other districts to study it.
The e-Sanjeevani figure matters for public health delivery. A tele-consultation lets a patient in a village speak to a doctor by video through a health centre or a phone, saving a trip to a district hospital. A count of about 50 crore consultations, as cited in the broadcast, suggests that remote consultation has become a regular part of how many Indians first reach a doctor, especially where specialists are scarce.
The export examples tie the 'Vocal for Local' message to farm incomes. Makhana (fox nut) from Purnia and tur dal from Kalaburagi are both district products. When such products find buyers abroad, the gain depends on whether farmers' groups and local processors, not only traders, capture the higher price. The broadcast named the destinations, Greece and the Maldives, but did not give volumes or prices, so the scale of these exports cannot be judged from the address alone.
Impact
Short-term: District administrations and state departments named in the broadcast, such as Tehri Garhwal in Uttarakhand, Purnia in Bihar and Kalaburagi in Karnataka, are likely to see more attention to these projects. Political leaders, including BJP president Nitin Nabin and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, publicly praised the episode on the same day, and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini listened to it at an event in Panchkula.
Long-term: If the river-revival and millet examples are taken up by other districts, they could shape how local bodies spend on water conservation and crop diversification. The e-Sanjeevani milestone strengthens the case for continued investment in telemedicine at primary health centres.
Who is affected: Villagers in hill districts facing drying springs; women weavers and organic cotton farmers in Punjab; makhana and tur dal growers in Bihar and Karnataka; patients in areas with few doctors; and students and researchers interested in brain research at IIT Madras.
Key Takeaway
The 139th Mann Ki Baat on October 25, 2026 used community water conservation, telemedicine and district farm exports as its main examples of citizen-led progress.
Questions and Answers
What were the main topics of Mann Ki Baat on October 25, 2026?
The 139th episode covered the community revival of the Heval river in Tehri Garhwal, organic cotton and weaving in Punjab's Malwa region, millet revival in Meghalaya and Nagaland, exports of Purnia makhana to Greece and Kalaburagi tur dal to the Maldives, about 50 crore e-Sanjeevani tele-consultations, and a tribute to fibre-optics pioneer Narinder Singh Kapany.
How was the Heval river revived?
According to the Prime Minister, the local administration and villagers in Tehri Garhwal ran a joint campaign of rainwater conservation, groundwater recharge and large-scale tree planting after the river's water level fell and nearby springs dried up. He said the river and dozens of natural water sources have since been restored.
Does Mann Ki Baat announce new government schemes?
Not usually. It is a monthly radio address in which the Prime Minister describes the work of citizens, communities and existing government programmes. It signals which efforts the government wants to highlight, but it does not by itself change rules or eligibility for any scheme.
Who is Narinder Singh Kapany, mentioned in this episode?
Narinder Singh Kapany is widely known as the "Father of Fiber Optics". The Prime Minister paid tribute to him ahead of his 100th birth anniversary, which falls on October 31, 2026.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Meera Iyer, Governance & Policy EditorCovers Governance & Policy and more for Peepals Bharat. All stories by Meera Iyer
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Meera Iyer is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
