Governor Shri Mangubhai Patel said that ‘Mann Ki Baat’ is a powerful platform that inspires national aspirations and collective action. Listening to the programme offers an opportunity to draw inspiration from Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s thoughts and experiences and strengthen the collective resolve for nation-building. He described the programme as historic, noting that the Prime Minister’s monthly virtual outreach to the people is unprecedented.
Governor Shri Patel was interacting with students at the Indian Institute of Forest Management in Bhopal on Sunday, ahead of the broadcast of ‘Mann Ki Baat’. He urged the students to plant a tree on the campus before leaving the institute, saying that this would strengthen their bond with the institution. After the programme, the Governor interacted with the students, learnt about them and offered his blessings.
Governor Shri Patel said that forest and environmental conservation are global challenges. He said that environmental concerns raised at the 1972 Stockholm conference have since become evident in the form of climate change and global warming. Nature has four seasons in a year, but the effects of global warming and pollution sometimes make all four seasons seem to occur in a single day. He emphasised that, alongside statutory provisions, it is essential to foster environmental awareness among the public. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has consistently promoted environmental conservation through public participation. The ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign is an important initiative to encourage tree plantation.
Drawing on his 14 years of experience as Gujarat’s Forest and Environment Minister during Shri Modi’s tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat, Governor Shri Patel spoke about promoting tree plantation through cultural forests and Van Mahotsav programmes organised in accordance with astrological concepts related to planets, zodiac signs and constellations.
In his welcome address, Indian Institute of Forest Management Director Dr. K. Ravichandran said that the institute has been serving the nation through forest management for the past 40 years. Its alumni are serving in 57 countries worldwide. The institute offers doctoral and MBA programmes in forest management, along with training and consultancy services.
