The North News
New Delhi, May 24
NITI Aayog’s 10th Governing Council meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, began here on Saturday with the theme ‘Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047’. The apex policy-making body, which includes all state Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors of Union Territories, and several Union Ministers, convened at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. PM Modi, who chairs the council, is leading discussions aimed at outlining a shared vision for making India a developed nation by 2047. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu are also attending the meeting.
The session marks the first major engagement between the Prime Minister and state leadership since the Indian Armed Forces carried out Operation Sindoor. The government described the meeting as a platform for strengthening cooperative federalism and promoting the “Team India” spirit.
Saturday’s meeting focuses on how states can act as the engines of India’s long-term development. The agenda includes critical areas such as entrepreneurship, skilling, sustainable employment, and governance reform—particularly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
The council is also reviewing progress made on themes discussed at the 4th National Conference of Chief Secretaries, held in December 2024. That conference, centred on ‘Promoting Entrepreneurship, Employment and Skilling—Leveraging the Demographic Dividend’, had outlined six key focus areas:
- Enabling ecosystems for manufacturing in smaller cities;
- Promoting service sector growth in emerging urban areas;
- Rural non-farm employment and MSME development;
- Support for the urban informal economy and small businesses;
- Opportunities in the renewable energy sector;
- Circular economy initiatives to drive sustainability.
