Barabanki (UP), March 31 A farmer's son from Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, whose ideas on rural economy and farmer welfare were mentioned in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat', says strengthening villages is key to achieving the vision of a "Developed India".
Saurabh Baiswar, 22, said his ideas gained attention after he participated in a nationwide 'Budget Quiz' competition organized online by the Union Ministry of Agriculture in February, which saw around 12 lakh participants.
After multiple rounds of screening, around 1.6 lakh were shortlisted for essay writing, where Baiswar stood out with his submission on "farmer welfare".
Baiswar said his essay focused on the need to empower farmers and make agriculture more sustainable, asserting that "India lives in its villages" and development would remain incomplete without boosting the rural economy.
His essay, which highlighted the challenges of Indian agriculture and the struggles of farmers, was noted for its depth and sensitivity, prompting the prime minister to highlight it during his radio broadcast on March 29.
A resident of Sohai village in the Suratganj block of Fatehpur tehsil, Baiswar said he participated in the 'Budget Quest' competition organized under the 'Mera Yuva Bharat' initiative.
"In my essay, I raised concerns over the problems faced by potato and mentha farmers and suggested setting up potato processing units at the tehsil level to enable farmers to sell value-added products like chips and starch instead of raw produce," Baiswar said.
He also called for restrictions or higher import duties on cheap synthetic mentha to ensure better prices for local farmers, and proposed a price stabilization fund for crops like potato and mentha to help the government intervene during price crashes.
Baiswar further flagged issues in government solar schemes, alleging the use of substandard equipment by private firms, and suggested mandatory maintenance guarantees of at least 10 years.
"I also recommended AI-based smart farming centres, better rural road connectivity up to farms, and solar street lighting in villages," he said.
Currently pursuing an ITI course in the electrician trade from the Jahangirabad Institute of Technology, Baiswar lives in Barabanki town. His father, Prabhakar Baiswar, is a farmer, and he is supported by his grandfather's pension.
"I now plan to prepare for the Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination with the aim of joining the Army as a lieutenant," Baiswar added.