Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the third high-level meeting with Secretaries to the Government of India at his residence yesterday and discussed the future action agenda of Ministries and Departments dealing with Infrastructure and Connectivity, Security, External Affairs, and Governance.
He urged Secretaries to think with a long-term perspective on how the country’s future should be shaped. Calling for greater interoperability and effective use of data, Mr Modi noted that data is a national asset and a resource for the future.
The Prime Minister added that silos are not merely an organisational problem but also a problem of mindset. He further urged officials to work with a spirit of belongingness. Highlighting the importance of informal interaction and building team spirit among officers, Mr Modi called for greater engagement between government departments, universities and young people to bring fresh perspectives in policymaking. He also emphasised the need to further strengthen the country’s defence industry and make it more competitive at global level.
Citing examples of experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and the West Asia crisis, he said that such coordination mechanisms should become a natural part of the government’s work culture. Mr Modi also called for effective use of Artificial Intelligence while ensuring human intervention and for exploring innovative ways of combining the capabilities of AI with human expertise. Prime Minister concluded by reiterating the need for a whole-of-government approach, greater coordination, innovative thinking and collective ownership to address complex challenges and shape India’s future with a long-term perspective.
During the meeting, the Secretaries shared their experiences on sectoral priorities, emerging challenges and implementation issues. Cabinet Secretary, Secretaries of key Ministries and Departments, and senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office attended the meeting.
