Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the objective of reforms is not merely to improve the functioning of the government but to accelerate India’s journey towards becoming a developed nation, emphasising that citizen welfare should be at the heart of all such measures.
Chairing a high-level meeting of secretaries to review the progress of rural development, agriculture, social welfare and allied sectors, Modi said reforms should be driven by people’s needs and focus on delivering tangible outcomes rather than merely improving administrative processes.
He said governance systems are witnessing rapid changes, and adapting and strengthening them to effectively meet the needs of a dynamic and evolving environment is the need of the hour. He suggested comprehensive mapping of emerging requirements across various ministries and departments.
The Prime Minister called for the development of an institutional mechanism and greater inter-departmental convergence on youth-centric initiatives to tackle the serious issue of drug abuse.
His comments on drug abuse among rural youth came months ahead of the crucial Punjab Assembly elections, where the issue remains politically significant.
He also directed senior bureaucrats to place citizens’ welfare at the centre of governance reforms and adopt a whole-of-government approach to accelerate India’s progress towards becoming a developed nation.
Highlighting the need for greater coordination, the Prime Minister urged ministries to break departmental silos and work in convergence to achieve the country’s development objectives. He said the vision of Viksit Bharat should become a mass movement, with India’s youth playing a central role in driving the transformation.
The Prime Minister also emphasised an integrated strategy for sports development, saying India should leverage the growing potential of sports tourism and aspire to host major international sporting events. He called for greater use of technology and innovation, including support for start-ups, to build India into a global sports hub.
On agriculture, Modi highlighted the transformative potential of the PM-KUSUM scheme, saying wider adoption of the programme by farmers could significantly strengthen the sector. He also underlined the need for global mapping of skill requirements to better align India’s workforce with emerging international employment opportunities.
Secretaries presented updates on initiatives and challenges across their respective ministries, while the Prime Minister shared his vision for improving implementation and accelerating progress.
