New Delhi, August 21 (TNA) Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the third high-level meeting with Secretaries to the Government of India at his residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg on Thursday. He discussed the future action agenda of Ministries and Departments dealing with Infrastructure and Connectivity, Security and External Affairs, and Governance.
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.
Discussing the challenge of overcoming silos, Modi stressed that silos are not merely an organisational problem 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.
Emphasising the importance of collective effort, the Prime Minister cited the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic and the West Asia crisis, when officials across departments worked together effectively. He said that such coordination mechanisms should become a natural part of the government’s work culture.
Narendra Modi called for effective use of Artificial Intelligence while ensuring human intervention and judgement. He called for exploring innovative ways of combining the capabilities of AI with human expertise.
Prime Minister also emphasised that data is a national asset and a resource for the future. He noted that the government invests resources in collecting, storing and managing data, but its full potential is not always realised because of departmental silos and fragmented systems. He pointed to differences in the manner in which data is collected and managed for various purposes, and called for finding solutions that enable greater interoperability and effective use of data.
He called for greater engagement between government departments, universities and young people to bring fresh perspectives in policymaking. He said wider engagement with universities and young people can bring new and unconventional ideas.