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Photo Source: ANI

980 million people registered to vote in 2024 general elections: PM Modi on 'Lex Fridman Podcast'; Watch Video

New Delhi, March 16, 2025 (ANI): Interacting with renowned podcaster Lex Fridman, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday apprised about the efforts made by the state machinery in conducting elections and said that 980 million people registered to vote in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, which exceeds the entire population of North America and European countries. Of 980 million registered voters, 646 million voted in extreme weather conditions, where temperatures soared to 40 degrees Celsius in some areas, he said.

"Anyone who believes in democracy should listen to what I'm about to share with you. There were 980 million registered voters (in the 2024 general elections). Each of those voters had a registered ID and all the necessary details in a vast database. This number is twice the entire population of North America. It even surpasses the total population of the entire European Union," PM Modi said.

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"Out of the 980 million registered voters, 646 million people ventured out and braved the intense heat of May, determined to cast their votes. Temperatures soared to 40 degrees in some areas, yet they chose to go, and the size of this voter base is double the population of the United States," he added.

Highlighting the dedication of people to participate in elections, PM Modi said that remote villages also had polling stations, where helicopters were used to set up polling stations. He said the election authorities set up a polling booth for merely one voter in the Gir Forest Gujarat.

"Even the remotest villages have polling stations. We even use helicopters to transport polling stations. I believe Arunachal Pradesh has the highest altitude polling booth on record. In Gujarat, a polling booth was set up in the Gir Forest for just one voter, who was in the middle of nowhere, but we ensured a polling booth was set up for them," the Prime Minister said.

Emphasizing the democratic nature of India, PM Modi said there are more than 25,000 registered political parties along with media houses, both broadcast and print, that play a crucial role in upholding democracy.

"My country has more than 2,500 registered political parties. This staggering figure, with such a vast array of political parties, has the power to leave the entire world in awe. My country has more than 900 round-the-clock news channels. There are over 5,000 newspapers published daily. They each play a role in upholding democracy in their own way," he said.

PM Narendra Modi’s Lex Fridman interview: Reflections on leadership, democracy, and India’s global role....by KBS Sidhu

Speaking on the central government's commitment to the welfare of the people, the Prime Minister said that welfare schemes must reach the "intended beneficiaries", where there is no discrimination based on caste, faith or ideology. He said trust remains the "cornerstone" of his governance model.

"My government is committed to ensuring welfare schemes reach every citizen. Every scheme must reach its intended beneficiaries. Every beneficiary must be treated equally. No one should face discrimination based on caste, creed, faith, wealth, or ideology. We must strive to ensure everyone's well-being and prosperity. This way, even those not directly benefiting never feel left out or treated unfairly. They find comfort in knowing they, too, will benefit in due course. This fosters a deep sense of trust, and trust is the cornerstone of my governance model," PM Modi said. (ANI)

Wo is Lex Fridman ? Read Details Based on Wikipedia

Lex Fridman: Computer Scientist, Podcaster, and AI Researcher

Lex Fridman (born Alexey Alexandrovich Fridman, August 15, 1983) is an American computer scientist, researcher, and podcaster known for hosting the widely popular Lex Fridman Podcast. Since 2018, he has interviewed leading figures across various fields, including science, technology, sports, and politics.

Fridman gained recognition in 2019 after Elon Musk praised his study on driver attention while using Tesla's semi-autonomous driving system—a study that later faced criticism from AI experts for lacking peer review. That same year, he transitioned to an unpaid role at MIT AgeLab and, since 2022, has been a research scientist at the MIT Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS). As of 2024, he resides in Texas but maintains ties with MIT, regularly visiting the campus.

Early Life and Education

Born in Chkalovsk, Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, Fridman was raised in Moscow before his family relocated to the Chicago area following the collapse of the Soviet Union. He comes from a family of academics—his father, Alexander Fridman, is a plasma physicist at Drexel University, where his brother Gregory also taught.

Fridman attended Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, Illinois, before earning his B.S. and M.S. degrees in computer science at Drexel in 2010. He later completed a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering at Drexel in 2014, focusing on behavioral biometrics for active authentication.

Podcasting and Public Influence

Fridman launched his podcast in 2018 under the name The Artificial Intelligence Podcast, later rebranding it to The Lex Fridman Podcast in 2020. By 2024, the podcast had amassed 3.6 million subscribers, cementing his place as a key voice in discussions on AI, technology, and beyond.

Timeline of the podcast

Timestamps: 0:00 - In this episode... 3:07 - Introduction 9:19 - Fasting 21:38 - Early life 33:33 - Advice to Young People 39:16 - Journey in the Himalayas 50:45 - Becoming a monk 52:33 - RSS and Hindu nationalism 1:00:17 - Explaining India 1:04:27 - Mahatma Gandhi 1:16:23 - Path to peace in Ukraine 1:19:37 - India and Pakistan 1:25:16 - Cricket and Football 1:29:41 - Donald Trump 1:40:51 - China and Xi Jinping 1:47:56 - Gujarat riots in 2002 2:03:33 - Biggest democracy in the world 2:13:48 - Power 2:18:34 - Hard work 2:21:42 - Srinivasa Ramanujan 2:23:48 - Decision-making process 2:31:35 - AI 2:41:50 - Education 2:52:06 - Learning and focus 2:57:56 - Mantra 2:59:41 - Meditation 3:05:38 - Lex visiting India 3:10:04 - Siddhartha