Modi uses Mann Ki Baat to push 18-year-olds to enrol as voters ahead of Republic Day
In his January 25 Mann Ki Baat address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged eligible young citizens to register as voters the moment they turn 18, calling it a key democratic duty. He linked the appeal to National Voters’ Day and the Republic Day focus on constitutional values.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the January 25, 2026 episode of Mann Ki Baat to make a direct appeal to first-time voters: register as soon as you turn 18. Framing it as a constitutional responsibility, he said youth participation is central to keeping India’s democracy strong and responsive.
The timing was deliberate. January 25 is observed as National Voters’ Day, and the message came just a day before Republic Day on January 26—an occasion he said should remind citizens of the Constitution’s architects and the values embedded in the republic’s foundations.
His thrust was that becoming a voter should be treated as a milestone in an Indian’s life, not a routine administrative formality—an idea aimed at nudging new adults to participate early and consistently.
Modi also broadened the context to civic culture, arguing that a vibrant democracy needs more than elections: it needs citizens who see voting as an active role in nation-building, not a once-in-five-years task. The emphasis, he said, is on awareness, responsibility and sustained engagement.
The address also touched on themes such as quality and excellence in the economy and highlighted the role of India’s start-up ecosystem across sectors including AI, semiconductors, mobility and clean energy. But the sharpest call-to-action remained the voter-registration push, positioned as the most immediate way for young people to shape public life.