New Delhi [India], July 22 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting with Secretaries to review progress of rural development, agriculture, social welfare and allied sectors towards Viksit Bharat Goals, at his residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg on Wednesday.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, the Prime Minister stressed the need for a whole-of-government approach to achieve the nation's development goals. He further emphasised that the dream to build a Viksit Bharat should become a Jan Andolan and that India's youth should form the foundation of this vision.

PM Modi emphasised that the welfare of citizens must remain at the heart of all reforms. He said that reforms designed around people's needs should gather real momentum and deliver meaningful transformation. He emphasised that the objective of reforms is not merely to improve the functioning of the Government, but to accelerate India's journey towards becoming a developed nation.

Prime Minister highlighted that governance systems are witnessing rapid changes and stressed the importance of adapting and strengthening governance processes to effectively meet the needs of a dynamic and evolving environment. He suggested undertaking a comprehensive mapping of emerging requirements across various Ministries and Departments.

As per the PMO, Prime Minister Modi underscored the importance of tackling the serious issue of drug abuse among youth. He suggested that efforts should be made to develop an institutional mechanism to break departmental silos and foster greater inter-departmental coordination and convergence in youth-centric initiatives.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi further emphasised the need to adopt an integrated approach for the development of sports. He noted that, with sports tourism emerging as a key focus area, India should aspire to host major international sporting events to establish itself as a global sports hub. He stressed the importance of promoting technology and fostering innovation through startups in the sports sector.

Prime Minister highlighted that the widespread adoption of initiatives such as the PM KUSUM Scheme by farmers can bring transformative changes to the agriculture sector. He further stressed the need for a global mapping of skill requirements to ensure better alignment with international opportunities and future needs.

The Secretaries shared their experiences and perspectives on various initiatives and challenges in their respective domains. The Prime Minister shared his suggestions and his vision for the future course of action.

The meeting was marked by comprehensive and productive discussions across the sectors, focusing on effective implementation, greater convergence and accelerated progress towards the goals of Viksit Bharat.

The meeting was attended by the Cabinet Secretary, Secretaries of key Ministries as well as senior officials from the Prime Minister's Office. (ANI)