From Operation Sindoor to focus on Nari Shakti, skilling — 10 key highlights from NITI Aayog meet
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, May 24, chaired the 10th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog which was attended by 31 states and Union Territories (UTs). During the meeting, Operation Sindoor, Nari Shakti, skilling were a few topics that were stressed upon by the prime minister.
Karnataka, West Bengal, Bihar, Kerala and Puducherry did not participate in the NITI Aayog meeting, CEO BVR Subrahmanyam said. '31 out of 36 states/UTs participated in the NITI Aayog governing council meeting today. States that did not participate are Karnataka, Bengal, Bihar, Kerala, and Puducherry,' he said.
'The agenda for the meeting was two items apart from an action taken report. Firstly, the theme of the meeting itself and the first item in the agenda was 'Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat'. The whole idea is that in the last Governing Council, the Prime Minister had given a call for all states to prepare their own state visions, making their states develop so that they have visions which will then aggregate into a larger vision for the nation,' he said. NITI Aayog meeting was attended by chief ministers and Lt. Governors representing 24 states and 7 UTs. This year's theme was Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047. The meeting commenced with a minute of silence in the remembrance of the victims of Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22. Operation Sindoor: As per the official release, PM Modi said 'Operation Sindoor should not be treated as a one-off initiative and we must adopt a long-term approach.' Viksit Bharat: According to the official press release, PM Modi said it was the aspiration of every Indian for the country to be a Viksit Bharat. He observed that if all states work together towards this goal, then we will make stupendous progress. Speed of transformation: PM said that India has emerged among top five economies of the world and 25 crore have escaped poverty. He emphasised that India needs to increase the speed of this transformation. 'We have to increase the speed of development. If the Centre and all the states come together and work together like Team India, no goal is impossible,' he said. Skilling and NEP: PM Modi also emphasised on skilling and the National Education Policy (NEP), saying the new policy gives emphasis on education and skills. He also said that states must plan skills that are attuned to modern technologies such as AI, Semiconductor, 3D printing. Urbanisation: PM Modi noted India's rapid urbanisation and urged states to transform cities into engines of sustainability and growth, with a special focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. He also announced the creation of a ₹ 1 lakh crore Urban Challenge Fund to provide seed money for this initiative. PM Modi said, 'We should work towards future-ready cities.' Nari Shakti: PM Modi urged the states to change laws for women to include them in the growth trajectory, observing the need for reforms in public and private sectors for working women with focus on their ease of working. The prime minister also suggested that states should develop at least one tourist destination per state at par with global standards and provide all facilities and infrastructure. Covid-19 related challenges: PM Modi stressed the importance of strengthening health service delivery and said there must be a review of oxygen plant readiness and overall preparedness to handle any potential Covid-related challenges.
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