NEW DELHI: While policy announcements were avoided in view of the ongoing Parliament session, ZEE News came in for praise in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ for its coverage of advantages of solar energy.

Modi's reference was to a link he received of a news report from Kanpur where a woman is using solar energy to spread awareness and also educate the people.

The broadcast, which comes on the last Sunday of every month at 11 am, was streamed live on the internet, apart from being broadcast by both All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan.

The regional language translations of the broadcast were beamed last night at 8 pm by different kendras of AIR.

The Prime Minister had invited people to share their messages for this edition of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on the offician government website and used some of these views and played recordings by individuals received.

Unlike some previous broadcasts, there was no theme for his talk. Modi's earlier themes have included rural sanitation, swachhta or other programmes of the government.

Even as no survey has so far been conducted on the listenership or viewership of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, private television channels have been reproducing some portions considered newsy by them.

Modi also received several suggestions on his Twitter handle and on the PM India website.