In his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (June 29, 2025) said that India has been declared free of Trachoma — an eye disease.

In the 123rd episode, Mr. Modi said, “I am delighted to share with you that World Health Organisation [WHO] had declared India free of Trachoma, an eye disease.”

Trachoma is a bacterial infection of the eyes caused by Chlamydia trachomatis. It’s a leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide, particularly in impoverished areas with poor access to clean water and sanitation.

“International Labour Organisation has said over 64% of Indian population is getting some form of social protection benefit,” PM Modi noted.

“Over 95 crore Indians now benefitting from some social security scheme, govt schemes reached less than 25 crore people in 2015,” he added.

On international yoga day

Mr. Modi highlighted the recent celebrations on the International Yoga Day in which lakhs of people participated from all walks of life.

He said, “All of you must be filled with the energy of Yoga and memories of International Yoga day. This year too, on June 21, crores of people took part in the international day of Yoga celebrations. It began 10 years ago, over these years, every year this tradition is becoming even more grand than before. This also indicates that more and more people are incorporating yoga in their daily lives.”

In Frames: Breathe, bend, belong

Into the inner mind: Women wearing traditional Nauvari saris perform yoga at the Gateway of India in Mumbai on the occasion of International Day of Yoga on June 21.

Geared up: Running late for a session, tribal students from the Paderu area hurry along to the Yogandhra 2025 event in Visakhapatnam.

Coming together: An aerial view of the Yoga Day celebrations along Beach Road in Visakhapatnam.

Navigating mindfully: About 500 personnel from the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy, and other forces take part in the Yoga Day event at the INS Adyar naval base in Chennai.

Quiet moment: Student Police Cadets perform yoga at Government Girls High School in Thripunithura in Kerala.

Shoring up energy: The Marine Drive in Mumbai offers a picturesque venue for a yoga session.

Fun footwork: The Telangana Chamber of Events Industry members perform zumba as part of Yoga Day celebrations in Hyderabad.

Screen distraction: A girl takes a peek at her mobile phone during Yogandhra 2025 celebrations in Visakhapatnam.

Poses for posterity: Participants at a mass yoga event in front of the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.

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He spoke about the mesmerising visuals from across the country, including in Visakhapatnam, from where the Prime Minister led the largest ever Yoga gathering of three lakh people. “We saw many mesmerising images of this celebration.

In Visakhapatnam, 3 lakh people performed Yoga together on the beach. Another incredible sight from Visakhapatnam was that over 2,000 tribal students performed 108 surya namaskars for 108 minutes. Imagine the discipline needed. A grand display of Yoga was showcased on our naval ships,” Mr. Modi said.