Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed the 4th National Conference of Chief Secretaries in Delhi earlier today. The three day Conference was held in Delhi from 13 to 15 December, 2024.
Prime Minister observed that the greater benefit of this Conference was that Team India had come together for discussion with an open mind and work together for a Viksit Bharat.
Prime Minister observed that Pro-People Pro-active Good Governance (P2G2) is at the core of our work through which we can achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat.
The Conference included discussions around the overarching theme of ‘Promoting Entrepreneurship, Employment and Skilling – Leveraging the Demographic Dividend’.
Prime Minister appreciated the advent of Start-ups especially in Tier 2/3 cities. He asked States to encourage such innovations and work towards providing an environment where start-ups can flourish. He urged States to identify locations suitable for entrepreneurs in smaller cities and take initiative to connect them with the banking system, provide logistics and facilitate them.
Prime Minister also asked the States to simplify the compliances which often lead to harassment of citizens. He urged the participants that States should reform the governance model in such as way as to encourage citizen participation or Jan Bhagidari. The Prime Minister also said that it is important to focus on reform, perform, and transform, and it is also important to inform the people about the various initiatives of the government.
Talking about Circular Economy, PM appreciated that the GOBARdhan programme is now being seen as a big energy resource. He observed that this initiative converts waste into wealth while also making the aged cattle an asset rather than a liability.
PM directed the States to explore concepts of Viability Gap Funding for recycling of E-waste. This is particularly important as with increasing data and technology driven society, digital waste will further increase. Converting this e-waste into a useful resource will lessen our dependence on import of such material.
In the health sector, PM urged that under the Fit India Movement obesity should be taken as a big challenge in Bharat. He said that only a fit and healthy India can be a Viksit Bharat. He also opined that Bharat can be made TB-mukt by end of 2025. He added that the ASHA and Anganwadi workers can play a big role in delivering this goal.
PM observed that the old manuscripts were Bharat’s treasure and technology should be used to digitize it. States should take steps towards it. While appreciating that PM GatiShakti has been a key enabler for good governance, he also said that PM GatiShakti must be regularly updated and indicators for environmental impacts, disaster prone areas must also be included in it.
Talking about Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programme, PM said that competent officers posted in these blocks and districts can bring about massive changes at the ground level. It would also lead to immense socio-economic benefits.
Talking about development of cities, PM strongly encouraged for human resources development in order to develop cities as centres of economic growth. He emphasized on developing institutions for specialization in urban governance, water and environment management. With increasing urban mobility, he also stressed on providing adequate urban accommodation which would in turn lead to better productivity in the manufacturing sector in new industrial hubs.
Prime Minister also paid salutations to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel describing him as an inspiration for all civil servants. Citing that today is his death anniversary and this year is also his 150th birth anniversary, PM Modi said that next two years should be celebrated and we should work towards achieving his dream of India.
To make every Indian an active participant in achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat, he urged them to follow the example of the freedom movement. As men, women and children from all walks of life participated in the freedom struggle despite their different circumstances, ideological differences and different means, similarly every Indian must work towards making Viksit Bharat by 2047. Citing that India became independent 25 years after Dandi March which was a massive revolution in those times, Prime Minister said that similarly if we decide that we shall become Viksit Bharat by 2047, we too will become Viksit for sure.
The three day Conference emphasised on special themes which included Manufacturing, Services, Rural Non-farm, Urban, Renewable Energy, and Circular Economy.
Discussion during the Conference
The sessions deliberated to work around subjects which would help in collaborative action in promoting entrepreneurship, enhancing skilling initiatives, and creating sustainable employment opportunities for both rural and urban populations thereby helping in the transition of India from middle income to high income country. These initiatives can emerge as the driving wheels for the economy with women-led development as the foundation.
During the conference, it was discussed that a multifaceted approach is required to harness the potential of India's service sector especially in smaller cities. This involves a combination of policy interventions, infrastructure development, skill enhancement, and a focus on creating a business-friendly environment. Emphasis on skilling and formalization of the informal sector was also discussed. Similarly in the rural non-farm sector, it was discussed that rural entrepreneurship should be promoted through specific skilling courses. It was also felt that women and marginalized groups’ participation in non-farm employment should also be encouraged through special incentives.
The Conference also deliberated on PRAGATI platform which has ultimate goal to drive systemic change and to accelerate completion of infrastructure project through rigorous reviews.
The Conference had a Special Session on Frontier Technologies which represents convergence of various fields and can help in providing solutions to global challenges. It also could provide India an opportunity to lead in this arena and have a trajectory of inclusive and sustainable growth. In another special session on Karmayogi, it was observed that it can help States in democratization of learning, citizen-centric programmes thereby strengthening the capacity building ecosystem.
The Conference was attended by Chief Secretaries, senior officials of all States/Union Territories, domain experts and senior officers in the centre.
Attended the Chief Secretaries Conference, a vital platform for collaboration between the Centre and states to boost good governance. Discussions focused on furthering growth, ensuring effective governance, and enhancing service delivery to citizens.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 15, 2024
We also focused on how to… pic.twitter.com/hQn0RRrbtG
