Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said “New India” was not about VIPs, but about “EPI – Every Person is Important”. “We have to remove VIP culture from the minds of a select few,” he said in his 31st Mann ki Baat address. Modi made the statement in reference to the Centre’s move to ban the use of red beacons on all official cars. “The exit of red beacons is part of a system, but we have to make efforts to cleanse it [VIP culture] out of our minds.”

At the third meeting of the Governing Council of Niti Aayog last week, Modi had spoken about his dreams for a “New India” and unveiled a 15-year vision document with his plans.

In his Mann ki Baat address, Modi also spoke about Labour Day, which is commemorated on May 1. “We remember Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and his role for the welfare of workers [on Labour Day],” he said. He also expressed concern about climate change, calling on children to “take the lead” to leave bowls of water out for birds and animals during the summer and requesting citizens to offer water to milkmen, vegetable sellers and others who come to their homes.

The prime minister also urged citizens to share their travel experiences and photographs with him using the hashtag #IncredibleIndia. “I can tell you from my experience of going around the world that the amount we can learn by seeing is something we cannot imagine,” he said. He urged the youth to get out of their “comfort zone” and gain new experiences. “Get away from technology, and try to spend some time with yourself,” he said, saying technology should not be allowed to widen distances among people.