Jobs top agenda at PM Modi's meeting with chief secretaries on Jan 5

Conclave will focus on two broad pillars: Growth & Jobs, and Health, Gender & Climate, will also set agenda for the next meeting of Niti Aayog Governing Council

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the second national conference of chief secretaries of states in New Delhi between January 5 and 7, ahead of Union Budget 2023. The three-day conclave will focus on two broad pillars: Growth & Jobs, and Health, Gender & Climate. It will also set the agenda for the next meeting of the Governing Council of Niti Aayog, which is a platform for the Prime Minister and state chief ministers.

“There will be sessions on multiple topics under the two broad pillars, such as infrastructure, job creation, self reliance in agriculture, climate and climate financing, ease of living, and other such topics,” a senior central government official told Business Standard.

Top officials from the states and from the central government are expected to attend the meeting. It will focus on rapid and sustained economic growth in partnership with the states. The focus is on better collaboration between centre and states to achieve sustainable high growth.

The conference will be held at the sprawling Indian Agricultural Research Institute, which is where the bureaucrats will stay. It is learnt that there was a plan for the PM to stay at the institute as well, but it was overruled by his security detail.

The first national conference of chief secretaries was held in Dharamshala in June 2022. According to an official statement, it was held as an exercise towards strengthening the partnership between the Centre and the states, to build a shared vision for Amrit Kaal.

At the June meeting, Modi lauded the success of the Aspirational Districts Programme and said the government should strive to make these the ‘Inspirational Districts’ of India and extend the programme to the block and city levels.

Discussions were held on ‘Crop Diversification and Achieving Self-Sufficiency in Oilseeds, Pulses and Other Agri-Commodities’ and ‘Implementation of National Education Policy-School Education’. There were sessions on ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav: Road to 2047’ and the Aspirational Districts Programme.

Several strategies for ‘Aatmanirbhar Krishi’ and for a digital mission in agriculture were also discussed.The need for greater Centre-state coordination for driving India’s infrastructure growth story through PM-GatiShakti was also highlighted.

All the states and union territories actively participated, flagged concerns, highlighted best practices and suggested possible solutions in every session.