Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired the 8th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog earlier today. The Meeting was held at the New Convention Centre, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.  It was attended by Chief Ministers/Lt.Governors representing 19 States and 6 UTs.

Prime Minister stressed that the Centre, States and UTs should work as Team India and fulfil the dreams and aspirations of people for a Viksit Bharat @ 2047. He said that NITI Aayog can play a critical role in helping States to develop their strategies for the next 25 years and align the same with the National Development Agenda. He urged the States and UTs to work with NITI Aayog so that the country can take a quantum leap towards achieving its vision for the Amrit Kaal.

Prime Minister mentioned that NITI Aayog is taking multiple initiatives for strengthening cooperative and competitive federalism like the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) and Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP). Both these programmes showcase the power of working together as Centre, States and Districts, and the impact of data-driven governance in improving the lives of common citizens at the grassroots level.

Prime Minister stressed on the need for States and Centre to promote Shree Anna in the International Year of Millets. He also deliberated on the need for working towards water conservation through the Amrit Sarovar programme.

Prime Minister spoke about the importance of maintaining fiscal discipline at the State levels. He urged the States to proactively use the  Gati Shakti Portal not only for infrastructure and logistics but also for local area development and creation of social infrastructure.

Speaking about G20 meetings being held in the country, he said that while G20 has brought glory to India on the world stage, it has provided States the opportunity for global exposure.

Prime Minister also spoke about the importance of skilling people with a view to meet global requirements, supporting MSMEs, developing the tourism potential of the country,  reducing compliances at the State level including decriminalisation of minor offences, creation of Ekta Malls. Talking about Nari Shakti, he highlighted the significance of women-led development. He also spoke about ending the menace of TB by 2025.

Chief Minister/Lt. Governors gave various policy level suggestions. They mentioned specific issues pertaining to the States which require Centre-State cooperation. Some of the key suggestions and best practices highlighted by them included in areas like opting for green strategies, need for zone wise planning, tourism, urban planning, agriculture, quality of workmanship, logistics, among others.

Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the CMs and LGs for participating in the meeting and sharing their views and experiences. He said NITI Aayog will study the states’ concerns, challenges, and best practices and subsequently plan the way forward.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has shared the tweets by citizens on 9 Years Of Modi Government highlighting what they have appreciated about the Government since 2014.

The Prime Minister tweeted;

“Since morning, I am seeing many Tweets on 9 Years Of Modi Government in which people are highlighting what they have appreciated about our Government since 2014. It is always humbling to receive such affection and it also gives me added strength to work even harder for the people.”

Sharing tweets by citizens, the Prime Minister said:

“We have covered much ground in the last 9 years and we want to do even more in the times to come so that we can build a strong and prosperous India in the Amrit Kaal.”

“Our accomplishments have been possible because the people of India have elected a stable government which has been able to deliver on key promises. This unparalleled support is a source of great strength.”

“The NDA Government has made numerous efforts to transform lives and add momentum to India’s development journey.”

“You have highlighted key infrastructure and ‘Ease of Living’ projects which have been very impactful at the grassroots level.”

“I am truly humbled to have got the opportunity to fulfil the aspirations of 140 crore Indians.”

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today said that StartUp avenues unfolded in 9 years call for change of mindset.

The Union Minister said, the nine years of Narendra Modi- led government have been, without any doubt, youth centric but what is required is the change of mind set for optimum utilization of avenues and various initiatives provided for the youth of this country.

Dr. Jitendra Singh was addressing Y20 (Yuva Utsav) with the theme India@2047 organized by Nehru Yuva Kendra at Kathua in Jammu.

While addressing a large gathering of the youth, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, with plethora of opportunities knocking at the doorsteps of the youth of this country, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government is steadfast and dedicated for providing a level playing field for the youth at different levels. The best example being the abolition of interviews for the non-gazetted posts, more than 2000 rules scrapped many of which were hurdles for the youth of this country to grow, Dr. Jitendra Singh added.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said, under PM Narendra Modi, the start-up ecosystem in India is now ranked third in the world with more than 100 unicorns has been possible only because of the youth of this nation who has aspirations but earlier did not have the right kind of milieu and aspirational environment as provided under PM Narendra Modi.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said, the Aroma Mission is attracting Start-ups whose birthplace is J&K as thousands of persons have been trained and several and huge amount of farmers’ revenue generated so far throughout the country. The youth of Jammu and Kashmir must see Aroma Mission as one of the best opportunities in terms of start-ups knocking at their doors as the purple revolution in J&K offers attractive start-up avenues for the youth of J&K, Dr. Singh added.

Dr. Jitendra Singh today said, youth are catalysts of change and India’s future will be driven by the youth power as India is a youthful nation whose strength lies in its Yuva Shakti.

The Minister said, the image of India has changed due to the bold leadership of the prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding the Prime Minister has emerged as the tallest leader of the world, capable of handling any challenge through stable governance and administration.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said, before 2014, there were 145 Medical Colleges in the country and 265 more were added in the last nine years. Similarly, there were 725 universities in the country and 300 new universities were added. Road length of seven lakh kilometres was added in the country under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna in the last nine years and Mudra loan of Rs. 23 lakh crore has been provided to the beneficiaries in the last nine years under Mudra Loan Scheme.

Dr. Singh further said, Jammu and Kashmir is on the path of renewed growth and development and successful culmination of G20 Meeting in Srinagar is a testament to this change as the Government is committed to transforming Jammu and Kashmir.

Union Minister of Railways Shri Ashwini Vaishnav today inaugurated the National Conclave: 9 Saal – Seva, Sushasan, Gareeb Kalyan at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The event witnessed the presence of Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Shri Anurag Thakur, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L. Murugan. Secretary, Min of I&B Shri Apurva Chandra and CEO, Prasar Bharati, Shri Gaurav Dwivedi were also present on the occasion.

Union Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnav made a comparative presentation juxtaposing the performance of the governments before 2014 with the government since and said while the previous governance efforts had become synonymous with scams, the current Government works with the ethos of ‘Pai Pai Se Gareeb Ki Bhalai’ (every penny for the benefit of the poor). This has been reflected in the way schemes and programmes have been implemented keeping the poor and the destitute as its central pillar, he added.

The Minister underlined that owning a house is a factor that brings a transformative change in a poor person’s life. To that end, today 3.5 crore houses have been constructed in the country under PM Awas Yojana bringing qualitative change in the lives of the poor.

The Minister said that the idea of connecting every house with piped water connection was always considered a behemoth, never to be attempted or achieved. But, he added, the Prime Minister took it up as a challenge and today 12 crore people have water connections. At the same time, he said the Government has strived to end the travesty that was traditional chulhas and provided 9.6 crore families with gas cylinders.

He further spoke about the efforts of the government to come through for the people in need and said that when the world was struggling to fight the travails of the COVID19 pandemic, the government overcame massive logistical challenges to bring free ration to 80 crore people. No government has spoken of fundamental human needs, like toilets, that are the indicators of inclusive growth, during Independence Day speeches. But PM Modi spoke about the construction of toilets in every house in his speech from Red Fort. This has caused a revolution in the field of women safety and sanitation with the construction of 11.72 crore toilets today.

Shri Vaishnav said that India today runs the world’s largest healthcare insurance programme under Ayushman Bharat that has created provisions for free medicare up to Rs five lakh for the needy, the total coverage which is more than the population of the USA and Russia combined.

Shri Vaishnav credited the Prime Minister with creating a new definition of social justice taking it away from appeasement and towards empowerment.

The Minister said that domestic infrastructure has seen an unprecedented makeover since 2014, which was largely missing earlier due to a lack of proper mindset and thought process in the past. He cited the creation of 74 airports in 9 years, a figure matching the number created till 2014. He added that where 91 thousand kilometers of road were created since independence, almost 54 thousand kilometers have been constructed since 2014. India has gone from having no waterways till 2014 to having 111 waterways today and India’s railway stations have world-class facilities like airports.

The Minister said that India had lagged in world economic rankings for a long time, but today India stands tall as the 5^th largest economy. He further said that India is well on its way to becoming the 4^th largest economy in another two years and the third largest in another six years.

The Minister spoke about the government’s strong commitment to national security and said that when in past India has been at the receiving end of major terror activities, today the country has the means and willingness to respond to attacks in kind.

Shri Anurag Thakur, while addressing the audience gathered at the conclave, said that the past nine years have seen a dramatic change in the life of the common people of India and the achievements of the Government have surpassed expectations of the people. He exemplified this by adding further that where India was a weak and ramshackle economy riddled with corruption in the past, today it has covered the distance from Fragile Five to Top Five economies of the world.

He further stated that while the benefits of government schemes used to reach only a few in the past, the government today works with the motto of Antyodaya, where the Government is committed to the upliftment of the last person standing at the end of the queue. Herein lies the secret of our efforts that have lifted 27% of people out of poverty, he added. A combination of a sense of service, big ideas, good governance, infusion of technology, and building transparency and accountability into the delivery mechanism, are the things that have gone into ensuring last-mile delivery of public services.

The Minister said that the government has been steadfast in shedding legacies of the colonial past and adopting modern and domestic symbols. This is evident in the creation of the Kartavya Path and will be evident in the new parliament.

The Minister highlighted that the Prime Minister had said that the youth had a critical role to play in shaping the future of this country. To that end, the Minister credited the youth for achieving a milestone where India can today boast of almost one lakh startups and over hundred Unicorns.

The Minister said that while on the one hand the country answered the Prime Minister’s call for Har Ghar Tiranga, the same tricolor was used by students of other countries to get out of a conflict zone during Operation Ganga. While surveys have called him the most popular leader, Shri Thakur said that he has in fact made the tricolour the strongest flag in the world.

Secretary Shri Apurva Chandra welcomed all the guests for the various thematic sessions during the day. He also welcomed the audience from various sections of society.

The National Conclave on 9 years of the Government is comprised of three thematic sessions after the inaugural session and a valedictory session.

Session 1 “India: Surging Ahead” moderated by Shri Nitin Gokhale, Senior Journalist will see participation from

• Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman, Bharti Enterprises
• Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospitals
• Debjani Ghosh, President of NASSCOM
• Surjit Bhalla, Former Executive Director for International Monetary Fund, India
• Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Advisor, State Bank of India
• Deepa Sayal, President and Patron in Chief, IWIL India

Session 2: Jan Jan Ka Vishwas moderated by Richa Anirudh, Journalist will see participation from

• Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Actor
• Cynthia McCaffrey, UNICEF Representative to India
• Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon Limited (Video message)
• Padma Shri Shanti Teresa Lakra, Nurse
• Nikhat Zareen, Boxer
• Anil Prakash Joshi, Environmentalist Divya Jain, Co-founder, Seekho

Session 3: Yuva Shakti: Galvanizing India moderated by Raunac, Radio Jockey, Red FM with the following panelists

• Ritesh Agarwal, CEO, OYO Rooms Rishab Shetty, Actor
• Amaan Ali Bangash, Musician
• Viren Rasquinha, Former Indian Hockey Captain
• Yashodhara Bajoria, Director, Espresso Technologies
• Akhil Kumar, Boxer

Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, and Health and Family Welfare Dr Mansukh Mandaviya chaired a roundtable meeting with the leading CEOs of pharmaceutical industry in the country on the second day of 8th International Conference on Pharma and Medical Device Sector, here today. Ms. S Aparna, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals was also present.

Lauding the growth momentum of the industry, the Minister said “the industry is progressing at a rapid rate, and to maintain our stature as the ‘Pharmacy of the World’, we need to focus on quality and affordable manufacturing with an increased focus on research and innovation.” Adding further Dr. Mandaviya urged the stakeholders to capitalize on the current opportunities, stating “substantial investment in terms of Production Linked Incentive schemes as well as upcoming drug parks are bearing fruitful results. To catalyze growth, we must maintain a degree of competitiveness to consolidate our presence in the world.”

Reiterating the government’s commitment and resolve, the Union Health Minister stated “the government is industry friendly and welcomes opportunities for collaboration. The government and industry, both integral to the nation’s progress, must work cohesively to achieve holistic growth.”

Affirming government support, Dr. Mandaviya invited the stakeholders to put forth their suggestions addressing the aspects of pricing, regulatory, policy and strategy, with the respective action points in a detailed presentation and due consideration will be given to facilitate further policy support and growth.

Underscoring the potential future growth of the industry, Ms. S Aparna, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals urged the attending representatives to collate and collectively represent their perspectives adhering to the aforementioned four categories to facilitate policy makers, government in fostering a stronger ecosystem for all.

The roundtable brought together participants from over 60 companies represented by senior leadership, with several key players having a presence in the national as well as international markets. Shri N Yuvaraj, Joint Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals, Shri Awadhesh Kumar Choudhary, Senior Economic Advisor, Smt. Vinod Kotwal Member Secretary, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, DCGI Dr. Rajeev Raghuvanshi, Chairman NPPA Shri Kamlesh Pant, various industry stakeholders and representatives of academia and associations were also present in the conference.

About International Conference on Pharma and Medical Device Sector:

The annual flagship conference will be conducted over two days – 26th May 2023 dedicated for India Medical Device sector on the theme “Sustainable MedTech 5.0: Scaling and Innovating Indian MedTech,” and 27th May 2023 dedicated for the Pharmaceutical sector on the theme “Indian pharma industry: Delivering Value through Innovation.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia on 24 May 2023 at Admiralty House in Sydney, Australia.

Prime Minister was accorded a Ceremonial Welcome and Guard of Honour on arrival at Admiralty House.

Both leaders recalled their productive 1st Annual Leaders’ Summit held in March 2023 in New Delhi and reaffirmed their commitment to further broadening and deepening of the multifaceted India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The discussions focused on cooperation in defense and security, trade and investment, new and renewable energy, green hydrogen, critical minerals, education, migration and mobility and people to people ties.

Both leaders welcomed the signing of the India-Australia Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement (MMPA), which will further facilitate mobility of students, professionals, researchers, academics and others, including through a new skilled pathway named MATES (Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early Professionals Scheme) specifically created for India.

They also welcomed the finalization of Terms of Reference of the India-Australia Hydrogen Task Force, which will advise on opportunities to accelerate manufacture and deployment of clean hydrogen, focusing on hydrogen electrolysers, fuel cells as well as supporting infrastructure and standards and regulations.

Prime Minister Modi thanked Australia for its support in establishing a Consulate General of India in Brisbane.

The two leaders reiterated their determination to ensure a peaceful, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, underpinned by a rules-based international order. They also discussed reform of UN Security Council.

Prime Minister Albanese expressed Australia’s strong support to India’s G20 Presidency and initiatives. Prime Minister looked forward to welcoming Prime Minister Albanese for the G20 Summit in New Delhi in September 2023.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met H.E. Mr. David Hurley, Governor-General of Australia on 24 May 2023 at Admiralty House in Sydney, Australia.

Prime Minister recalled his meeting with the Governor-General in 2019 during the latter’s visit to India as Governor of New South Wales.

Both leaders discussed ways to strengthen the long-standing bilateral partnership.

Prime Minister recalled the positive contributions of the Indian community in Australia, and their role in fostering closer links between the two countries.

Prime Minister, along with H.E. Mr. Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, addressed and interacted with a large gathering of Indian community members on 23 May 2023 at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney.

The Indian diaspora, consisting of students, researchers, professionals and business persons, participated in the event with great enthusiasm. A number of Ministers, Members of Parliament and other dignitaries from Australia also participated in the event.

Both Prime Ministers jointly unveiled the foundation stone for a ‘Little India’ Gateway to be built in Harris Park in Parramatta, Western Sydney, which is home to a large Indian community.

In his address, Prime Minister Modi highlighted “Mutual Trust and Mutual Respect” as the foundation of the close historical ties between India and Australia, and underscored the numerous elements that bind the two countries. He lauded the contribution and success of the Indian community in Australia, calling them cultural and brand Ambassadors of India.

Prime Minister outlined India’s growing achievements on a global scale, and noted that the world was increasingly interested in India’s success stories. He highlighted the deepening engagement between India and Australia, and announced that an Indian Consulate would be opened in Brisbane.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah inaugurated a workshop on the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ in New Delhi today. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Nityanand Rai, Shri Ajay Kumar Mishra and Shri Nishith Pramanik, Union Home Secretary, DG, ITBP, District Collectors and District Development officers of the border districts under VVP and senior officers from M/o Home Affairs and several other Central ministries attended the workshop.

In his address, Shri Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has conceptualized ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ with a lot of devotion and in spirit of the Constitution that every border village should get all facilities, similar to any other village in mainland. He said that since 2014, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi made a lot of efforts to improve the border infrastructure, followed by introducing several public welfare schemes for border villages and now launching the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ to stop migration from border villages.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the District Collectors in border districts under VVP should take at least 5 initiatives every year in every border village to give impetus to the Vibrant Villages Programme. These include–

1. 5 initiatives related to tourism
2. 5 initiatives related to generation of employment opportunities
3. 5 initiatives related to agriculture, handicrafts and cooperatives
4. 5 initiatives related to increasing basic facilities, and,
5. 5 initiatives to achieve 100% saturation of Central and State schemes.

Shri Shah said that VVP can truly be promoted and encouraged by giving emphasis on home stay facilities.

Shri Amit Shah said that there is ample scope for employment generation through Cooperatives in villages under VVP. He said that at least 30% of the daily expenditure of ITBP should be linked with rural employment opportunities. He said regular reviews at all levels regarding this should be held. Shri Shah said that special efforts should be made to establish connectivity with 168 unconnected border villages in 4 states and UTs.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the Government of India has spent more than Rs 25,000 crore on border infrastructure in the last 9 years. He said that 1134 kilometer long border road has been constructed and almost all check-posts have been completed. The Union Home Minister said that there are 3 main ways to develop the border villages, like, ensuring 100% saturation of public welfare schemes of the Government of India in villages, promoting financial inclusion and encouraging digital and sentimental connectivity of the villages with the rest of the country. He said that priority should be given to Vibrant Villages in mapping of schemes, both at Central and State level.

Shri Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has always maintained that the border villages are not the last villages of the country but the first villages. He said that security of our borders is the priority of the Modi government and it is linked with the national security and, without keeping the villages secured, we cannot keep our borders safe. Shri Shah said that developing Vibrant Villages will add an extra layer to the border security of the country. He said that the concept of VVP came into being with focus on 2 main aspects-

1. To stop migration from border villages situated at far-flung areas and with tough climatic conditions with a view at security, and, developing these villages and adding an extra layer of security.
2. According to the spirit of the Constitution of India, every village has equal right on resources of the country and no village should be deprived of such resources.

The Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that an ‘I’ should be added to VVP, an acronym for ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’, to make it ‘VVIP’, which stands for ‘Very Very Important Programme’. He said that for decades after Independence, the citizens in border villages were left behind in the developmental process.

Shri Amit Shah said that now, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, time has come to provide all-inclusive development to all citizens of the country by providing them basic facilities like drinking water, electricity, healthcare facilities etc.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh and Union Minister of Culture, Tourism and the Development of the North Eastern Region, Shri G Kishan Reddy today addressed the side event on the theme ‘Promoting Incredible India through Film Tourism’ on the sidelines of 3^rd Tourism Working Group Meeting in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. The side event was also attended by Secretary Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, Shri Apurva Chandra.

The side event on Tourism was aimed at furthering the scope of the Film Tourism sector and highlighting all the aspects of Incredible India.

During the event, Dr. Jitendra Singh said India is not far from getting an Oscar, having the best film production policies in place like the film facilitation process. India has no dearth of talent having the century old film legacy with leading names of Guru Dutt and Satyajit Ray who have been acknowledged for their art work despite no avenues and facilities, Dr. Singh added.

Dr. Singh hoped that the business community will help in scaling up the efforts already taken by the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of I&B.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said, ease of film making and upgradation of the existing studios has to be pursued rigorously to support the film industry. Liberalisation of state regulations has to be taken up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to encourage film making throughout India, Dr. Singh added.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with H.E Mr. Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan, on 20 May 2023 on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit in Hiroshima.

This was their second meeting in 2023, following the visit of Prime Minister Kishida to India in March this year.

Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Kishida for planting in Hiroshima the Bodhi sapling that had been gifted by Prime Minister Modi in March 2023.

Prime Minister recalled that the Indian Parliament commemorated every year the Hiroshima Day, and noted that Japanese diplomats were always present on the occasion.

The leaders discussed ways to synergise efforts of their respective G-20 and G-7 Presidencies. Prime Minister stressed the need to highlight the concerns and priorities of Global South.

The two leaders exchanged views on contemporary regional developments. They also discussed deepening cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

The leaders agreed on ways to further strengthen the bilateral Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Discussions focused on areas of education, skill development, tourism, Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE), green hydrogen, high technology, semiconductors and digital public infrastructure. Combating terrorism and reform of the United Nations was also discussed.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron, President of the Republic of France, on 20 May 2023 in Hiroshima on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit.

Prime Minister thanked President Macron for the invite as the Guest of Honour for Bastille Day on 14 July 2023.

The leaders reviewed with satisfaction the progress in their Strategic Partnership in various areas, including cooperation in trade & economic spheres; civil aviation; renewables; culture; co-production and manufacturing in defence sector; as well as civil nuclear cooperation. They agreed to expand the partnership to newer domains.

Prime Minister thanked President Macron for France’s support to India’s G20 Presidency. The leaders exchanged views on regional developments and global challenges.