NEW DELHI, Apr 29: A survey conducted on 890 people by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) has found that 76% of them believed that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popular radio programme “Mann Ki Baat,” which will be completing 100 episodes on Sunday, has played a significant role in introducing the “real Bharat” to Indian listeners.
The 890 people selected for the survey were all associated with the media – journalists, researchers, faculty and students.
Asked which issue discussed by the Prime Minister in Mann Ki Baat influenced people the most, 40% of respondents mentioned ‘education’, while 26% said ‘information about grass roots innovators’ was the most influential topic, according to the IIMC study. The programme has initiated a trend where people are now more aware of things in other parts of the country and have started appreciating them, according to a government statement on the study.
According to IIMC Director General Sanjay Dwivedi, the survey was conducted by the Outreach Department of the institute between April 12 and 25, 2023. A total of 890 persons associated with the media from 116 media houses, academic institutions and universities across the country participated. Of these, 326 were women and 564 were men, while 66% of the respondents were between the age group of 18 and 25 years.
Respondents said “knowledge about the country” and the “PM’s vision about the country” were the two important reasons which motivated them to listen to the programme. “When the respondents were asked how they listen to the programme if they miss any episode, 63% said they prefer YouTube over the other mediums. 76% of the respondents feel that they are a participant in the democratic process by listening to PM Modi on various issues in Mann Ki Baat,” official statement said.
Interestingly, the survey found that the internet was the favoured platform to listen to Mann Ki Baat — at least among mediapersons — though it was initially envisaged as a radio programme.
“32% respondents said they share their thoughts on the issues discussed in the programme with their family members, while 29% people said they discuss the topics with their friends and colleagues. Another interesting fact that emerged in the study was that 12% people use radio, 15% television and 37% use Internet based platforms to listen to Mann Ki Baat,” said the statement.
(Manas Dasgupta)