Digital transactions worth Rs 20,000 crore seen daily: PM Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said digital transactions worth Rs 20,000 crore are now taking place daily in the country and asserted that this is not only increasing facilities but also encouraging an environment of honesty.

In his monthly Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast, Modi said small online payments are helping build a big digital economy and many new fintech start-ups are coming up.

He also urged people who have any experience related to digital payments and the startup ecosystem to share it with others.

"Your experiences can be a source of inspiration for others in the country," he said.

"Now digital transactions worth Rs 20,000 crore are taking place daily in our country. In March, UPI (Unified Payments Interface) transactions even reached Rs 10 lakh crore," he said.

This is not only increasing facilities in the country but also encouraging an environment of honesty, Modi added.

He said people from across the country have written letters and messages to him about the 'Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya' inaugurated on April 14, the birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar.

There can be no better time than 75 years of India's Independence to remember the contribution of prime ministers, Modi said.

He also urged people to visit a local museum during holidays and share their experiences using the hashtag 'MuseumMemories'.

"People's interest in history is increasing a lot and in such a situation the PM Museum is also becoming a centre of attraction for the youth, connecting them with the precious heritage of the country," he said.

In his remarks, Modi noted that just like in sports, 'divyangjan' are doing wonders in arts, academics and many other fields.

With the power of technology, they are achieving greater heights, he said.

He also urged people to take all Covid related precautions in view of upcoming festivals, including Eid and Akshaya Tritiya.

"In the midst of all this, you also have to be alert of Corona. Wearing a mask, washing hands at regular intervals, whatever are the necessary measures for prevention, keep following them," Modi said.

Stressing on the need for water conservation amid hot weather conditions in much of the country, the prime minister said water conservation is one of the resolves with which the country is moving forward.

"During the Amrit Mahotsav, 75 Amrit Sarovars will be built in every district of the country. You can imagine how big the campaign is. The day is not far when there will be 75 Amrit Sarovars in your own city," he said.

Lauding the work of panchayat Patwai of Rampur in Uttar Pradesh for rejuvenating a pond full of filth and garbage, he said availability of water will determine the speed of progress of any country.

He noted that during his interaction with students, including in 'Pariksha pe charcha', he found among some students were apprehensive about maths.

Citing the country's ancient knowledge of mathematics, he said this is one subject with which Indians should be most comfortable.

"If we invented zero, we have also expressed infinity well. In common parlance, when we talk about numbers, we speak and think million, billion and trillion, but, in Vedas and in Indian mathematics, this calculation goes much further," he said, highlighting the merits of vedic mathematics in solving complex calculations.