New Delhi: India’s youth who will vote for the first time in this year’s general election should cast their ballots in large numbers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged on Sunday in his 110th Mann ki Baat address, also announcing that the monthly radio broadcast will be stopped for the next three months in view of the Lok Sabha polls.

Modi lauded the Election Commission of India’s campaign — Mera Pehla Vote Desh Ke Liye (my first vote for the country) — to urge first time voters to cast their votes in large numbers. “India is proud of its youth power, full of enthusiasm and energy. The more our youth participate in the electoral process, the more beneficial its results will be for the country,” he said. “On turning 18, you are getting a chance to elect a member for the 18th Lok Sabha. That means this 18th Lok Sabha will also be a symbol of youth aspiration. That is why the importance of your vote has risen further.”

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“Amidst this hustle and bustle of the general elections, you the youth should not only be a part of political activities but also remain aware of the discussions and debates during this period,” Modi said. “I would also urge the influencers of the country, whether they are from the sports world, film industry, literature world, other professionals or our Instagram and YouTube influencers, they too should actively participate in this campaign and motivate our first time voters.”

He also announced that there will be a break in the radio programme that is broadcast on the last Sunday of every month in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “Even though Mann Ki Baat is undergoing a break for three months, the achievements of the country will not stop even for a while,” the Prime Minister said. “Therefore, keep posting the achievements of society and the country on social media with the hashtag Mann Ki Baat.”

Modi also hailed women power in the radio programme. “Today, the woman power of India is touching new heights of progress in every field. Who would have thought till a few years ago that in our country, women living in villages too would fly drones? But today this is becoming possible,” he said and interacted with two women related to the Drone Didi programme and natural farming.

Modi also mentioned how technology is being used for wildlife conservation. “You will be happy to know that technology is being used extensively for the conservation of wildlife in different parts of our country. During the last few years, through the efforts of the government, the number of tigers in the country has increased,” he said. “The number of tigers in the Tiger Reserve of Chandrapur, Maharashtra, has risen to more than 250.”

Artificial intelligence is being used to reduce human- tiger conflict in Chandrapur district, Modi said. With cameras installed on the border of villages and forest, “whenever a tiger comes near a village, with the help of AI, local people get an alert on their mobile. Today, this system has provided a lot of convenience to the people in the 13 villages around this tiger reserve and the tigers have also got protection,” he said.

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Modi also spoke about how young entrepreneurs have deployed drones to keep an eye on crocodiles in the Ken river. “Similarly, a Bengaluru company has prepared apps named Bagheera and Garuda. With the Bagheera app, the speed of a vehicle and other activities can be monitored during a jungle safari. It is being used in many tiger reserves of the country,” Modi said. “The Garuda app, based on artificial intelligence and Internet of Things, starts providing real time alerts on connecting it to any CCTV.”