Overview

• Speaking on the 125th episode of Mann Ki Baat on August 31, the Prime Minister called for wider uptake of rooftop panels, solar pumps and solar rice mills.
• He cited Devki of Ratanpura, Muzaffarpur, who installed a solar pump through a self-help group and expanded irrigation to more than 40 acres.
• Modi said other farmers joined the effort, crops improved and household earnings rose as water access increased.
• He highlighted digital inclusion by noting that Devki now receives payments from local farmers via UPI.
• He added that hundreds of solar rice mills have been set up in several states, and one report linked his appeal to India’s net-zero 2070 goal.