Fact Check: Does each episode of ‘Mann ki Baat’ cost Rs 8.3 crore?

On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 100th episode of 'Mann ki Baat.'

Soon after the address a message went viral on the social media with the claim that the PM's 'Mann ki Baat' costs Rs 8.3 crore per episode. The message said that so far all the episodes together has cost Rs 830 crore.

This claim was however busted by the Press Information Bureau's fact-check unit. It said that this claim is fake and Rs 8.3 crore is the total figure of ads for 'Mann ki Baat' till date. It also said that this figure is not for a single episode as has been claimed in the viral message. "The viral message assumes each episode is supported by ads, which is false,'" PIB's fact-check unit also said.

On Sunday, the 'Mann ki Baat' series completed its 100th episode. The episode which became a milestone was broadcast live from the United Nations headquarters in New York as well.

The 'Mann ki Baat's is broadcast in 11 foreign languages including Fresh, Chinese, Tibetan, Indonesian, Baluchi, Burmese, Pashtu, Arabic, Dari, Persian and Swahili. It is also broadcast by more than 500 broadcast centres of the All India Radio.

The first episode was aired on October 3 2014. It is broadcast on the last Sunday of every month at 11 am on the All India Radio and Doordarshan network.

During his Sunday address, the PM said that he had received thousands of letters and messages from the people congratulating him on the 100th episode. He said that 'Mann ki Baat has become that festival that is keenly awaited by all every month. "This programme never lets me be away from you," the PM also said.

Hence it is clear that the viral message claiming that each episode of 'Mann ki Baat' cost Rs 8.3 crore is not right. The PIB's fact-check unit has clarified that this message in circulation which has gone viral is false.