A month after Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted details of a study on the impact of his radio show Mann Ki Baat, the response to a Right-To-Information (RTI) query suggests that such a study may not have been commissioned. Narendra Modi had posted on October 3 that the study was conducted by the State Bank of India (SBI) and the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Bengaluru. However, in response to an RTI to the IIM-B, the institute said that no such information was available on record.
The Prime Minister wrote the post on the occasion of the ninth anniversary of his radio show held every month during which he talks about different issues concerning the country. On October 3, when the show completed 105 episodes, Modi said: "Today, as #MannKiBaat completes 9 years, here is an interesting study by @TheOfficialSBI and @iimb_official which highlights some of the themes covered and their societal impact. It is amazing how we have celebrated several life journeys and collective efforts through this medium."
He also shared a document titled 'Transformational Impact of Mann Ki Baat: An Analysis by SBI and IIM Bengaluru'. The study mentioned the various projects of the Union government, such as 'Beti Bachcao Beti Padhao', the promotion of 'Yoga' and 'Khadi' and the use of millets as having gained popularity through the radio show. However, on questions in the RTI about the title and date of the study, the money spent on it, the agreement with the SBI and other such details, the IIM-B replied that they did not have any information on record.