Patience, Modi requests military pensioners

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Sunday in the eighth edition of his radio talk, Mann ki baat, sought more time from retired defence personnel on the "complicated" issue of one rank, one pension.

He said it had remained unresolved for 40 years, with previous governments having promised much but done nothing. "I give you my word that this government will find a solution…have trust in me. There will be people who will play politics on the issue but give me some time, be patient for some more time when you have been for 40 years," he said.

He stressed the need for a scientific approach to animal husbandry, particularly milk production, and to raise agricultural productivity, at a time when landholdings were becoming smaller and families getting bigger. He said television's Kisan (farmer) channel, which he launched earlier this week, would help farmers move from traditional to modern methods. The challenge was to increase the productivity of landholdings, which were becoming smaller.

The PM referred to the insurance and social security schemes his government had launched. In less than 20 days, he noted, about 85 million people had been enrolled. On May 9, the PM had launched the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana.

"The government wants to see the poor self-empowered, so that he need not depend on others for survival", the PM said, adding there was a need to create "an army of poor to defeat poverty". He appealed to all Indians to mark June 21 as International Day of Yoga. He said yoga could become a "catalytic agent" to connect the world. His government's performance on completing a year in office had been minutely analysed, he said, with some having given "distinction marks". He said such manthan (churning) was necessary in a democracy, as it helped identify lacunae.

Modi congratulated those who'd done well in their school-leaving examinations but advised they shouldn't simply follow conventionally popular careers. Make a proper assessment of interests and strengths, he advised. And on how your career, whatever it might be, will help your country, he advised a look at non-conventional careers such as museum study, India having few museums. And, sports was a huge area where, apart from athletes and players, it needs other kinds of human resources as well.