PM Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat' positively influences citizenship behaviour, over 100 crore have listened to programme at least once: Survey

New Delhi [India], April 24 : Twenty-three crore people have "listened to or viewed" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Mann Ki Baat programme regularly and over 100 crore people have listened to it at least once, a survey on listener feedback has revealed, with the programme positively influencing "citizenship behaviour, optimism and happiness".

The survey said that listeners like the communication style of the Prime Minister and find him knowledgeable, empathetic and decisive. It said about 96 per cent people are aware of the monthly radio programme.

Mann Ki Baat will complete its 100th Edition on April 30. The radio programme started on Vijayadashami on October 3, 2014 a few months after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister.

The findings of the survey 'Listener Feedback and Sentiment Analysis of Mann ki Baat' conducted by IIM Rohtak were released at a press conference on Monday in the presence of Prasar Bharati CEO Gaurav Dwivedi.

Among the significant findings of survey is the "positive relationship" between the listenership of Mann Ki Baat and citizenship behaviour in terms of optimism and happiness.

"Sixty per cent have shown interest in working for nation-building, 55 per cent affirm becoming a responsible citizen of the nation, 63 per cent feel that their approach towards the government has become positive while 59 per cent feel that their trust on the government has increased, 58 per cent expressed that their living conditions have improved while 73 per cent feel optimistic about the government's working and country's progress," the survey said.

According to the survey's findings, "nearly 96 per cent people are aware of Mann Ki Baat, more than 100 crore people have listened to it at least once, 23 crore people have listened/viewed the programme regularly and 41 crore people have scope of converting from occasional audience to regular audience".

Dheeraj P. Sharma, Director, Indian Institute of Management-Rohtak, said at the press conference that the results show how far the Mann ki Baat has gone in terms of reach.

Referring to 41 crore people "who can be turned into the regular audience", he said these people either do not listen to the programme fully or may have listened to it sporadically.

"I think there is a substantial opportunity from a messaging standpoint that particular 41 crore people, could become regular listeners if there is reach out effort made by the relevant people," he said.

In terms of communication style, he said the survey sought to know why people listen to Mann Ki Baat.

"Majority of people wanted to listen to Mann Ki Baat because of Prime Minister", he said, adding that both content and communication style played a very important role in people listening to the programme regularly or even sporadically.

"These characteristics were found through the assessment that the leader is knowledgeable, sets an emotional connect, is decisive, is very sympathetic and empathetic and wants to have direct interaction with citizens bypassing the typical hierarchy, he said.

In terms of most liked characteristics, the survey found the leader "is knowledgeable, sets emotional connect with the audience, leader is powerful and decisive, has sympathetic and empathetic approach and directly talks to the citizens and guides them".

According to the survey, television is the preferred medium for 44.7 per cent of people, 17.6 per cent listen to the programme on radio and 37.6 per cent use mobile phones.

It said about 62 per cent in the age of 19-34 years, prefer watching or listening to 'Mann Ki Baat' via mobile while 3.2 per cent above the age of 60 prefer television.

In terms of languages, 65 per cent of people listen to it in Hindi, 18 per cent in English, four per cent in Urdu, two per cent each in Dogri and Tamil each and nine per cent in 'others'.

The 'others' include 10 per cent each in Kashmiri, Telugu, Odia, Gujarati, Bengali, Maithili, and 20 per cent each in Mizo and Assamese.

In terms of 'most popular themes' the survey results mentioned scientific achievement of the country, common citizen stories, the gallantry of Armed Forces, youth-related issues and the environment and natural resource-related issues.

Sharma said the data was collected through a psychometrically-purified survey instrument and all scales used in the survey instrument were psychometrically purified to test for their reliability and validity.

Data was collected from all four regions of the country - North, South, East, and West - using snowball sampling approximately 2,500 responses per zone and the total sample size was 10,003.

The survey respondents were citizens more than 15 years of age, with 60 per cent being males and 40 per cent females.

In terms of occupation profile, the total occupation covered was 86 with the informal sector including the self-employed constituting 64 per cent of respondents, students 23 per cent, academicians including school teachers 9 per cent and housewives four per cent.

The survey also gave details in terms of the education profile of respondents. It said 7.66 per cent didn't complete the Xth standard, 18.87 per cent were Xth pass, 31.42 per cent were undergraduates, 13.20 per cent were graduates, 16.21 per cent were postgraduates while 2.02 per cent were doctorates.

The radio programme has been consistently aired on the last Sunday of every month from April 2018.

Mann Ki Baat is translated into 22 Indian languages, 29 dialects and 11 foreign languages.

It is also broadcast in 11 foreign languages. The broadcast in English version started from January 31, 2016. Doordarshan also broadcasts Mann Ki Baat in sign language.

Gaurav Dwivedi said the programme is broadcast in Sanskrit. He said the 11 foreign languages include English, French, Chinese, Indonesian, Tibetan, Burmese, Balochi Arabic, Pashtu, Persian, Dari and Swahili.

"Pretty much every continent was covered here," he said.

Dwivedi said that April 30, when the 100th episode will be broadcast, will be "a landmark day".

He said starting as a radio programme, the programme has expanded in scope.

"The Doordarshan visualisation is also shared by many private channels as well. Mann Ki Baat programme has been also a very interactive programme and many of the thoughts that are shared come in as suggestions and ideas from the listeners and these have been cause for campaigns," he said.

The official said competitions have also been held as part of the Mann ki Baat ecosystem.

"There also has been telephonic interaction with the listeners. Some people sent in their audio statements that had been incorporated into the programme and some dialogues of some people with the Prime Minister have also made it into the programme," he said.

In the run-up to the centenary episode of Mann Ki Baat, All India Radio launched a special series from March 15 to focus on the impact of the program on the transformation of India.

The series is bringing out 100 identified themes highlighted by Prime Minister in Mann Ki Baat episodes till date.

Mann Ki Baat is Prime Minister's unique and direct communication with the citizens through the medium of radio.

It has been the genesis, medium and amplifier of social changes like Swachh Bharat, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Water conservation, Vocal for Local, The programme has had impact on the sectors such as Khadi, toy industry, startups in Health, AYUSH and space.

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