Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged senior government officials to engage more with young people and adopt a long-term approach to policymaking during a high-level meeting with Secretaries to the Government of India.
Modi chaired the third high-level meeting with Secretaries at his residence, where he discussed the future action agenda of ministries and departments dealing with infrastructure and connectivity, security and external affairs, and governance, according to a government press release.
PM Modi Calls For Long-Term Thinking
The Prime Minister said officials should look beyond immediate issues and statistics and consider how the country's future should be shaped.
“Noting that deliberations had already been held with two groups of Secretaries, Prime Minister said that Secretaries, in addition to thinking about immediate issues and statistics, should also think with a long-term perspective on how the country’s future should be shaped,” the release stated.
‘Silos’ A Problem Of Mindset
During the meeting, Modi stressed that departmental silos were not merely an organisational issue but also a problem of mindset.
“He said silos can be both horizontal and vertical. He stressed that officials must take ownership of their responsibilities and work with a spirit of belongingness,” the government statement said.
Greater Engagement With Universities, Youth
Modi called for greater engagement between government departments, universities and young people to bring fresh perspectives into policymaking.
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“He said wider engagement with universities and young people can bring new and unconventional ideas,” the statement noted.
Lessons From Covid-19, West Asia War
The Prime Minister also emphasised the importance of collective efforts and cited the Covid-19 pandemic and challenges created by the West Asia war as examples of situations where officials worked together effectively.
“He said that such coordination mechanisms should become a natural part of the government’s work culture,” the statement added.
Modi Calls For Effective Use Of AI
The meeting also discussed the effective use of Artificial Intelligence.
Modi called for greater use of the technology while stressing the importance of human intervention and judgement. He also called for exploring innovative ways to combine the capabilities of AI with human expertise, the statement said.
Data ‘A National Asset’
Modi termed data a national asset and a resource for the future.
He noted that the government invests resources in collecting, storing and managing data, but said its full potential is not always realised because of departmental silos and fragmented systems.
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