Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today said that over 2,000 rules and laws were scrapped by the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last 9 years, for ease of governance and ease of business.
Speaking as Chief Guest after presenting Yashraj Bharati Samman (YBS) Awards at a ‘Gratitude ceremony’ organised by the Yashraj Research Foundation (YRF) here, Dr Jitendra Singh said that unlike the earlier governments which found comfort in status quoist approach, Prime Minister Modi has demonstrated the courage and conviction to do away with such rules which were causing inconvenience for the citizens and many of which that had persisted since the time of British Raj. The ultimate aim of good governance is to bring ease of living to the citizens, he added.
The Minister appreciated Yashraj Research Foundation (YRF) for instituting the Yashraj Bharti Samman (YBS) and recognising the exemplary work done by different individuals and organisations in different fields. He further said that the three categories in which the awards have been presented, namely innovation in healthcare, transforming people’s lives and ethical governance, have always been the priority of the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Minister recalled that soon after the Government came to power in May 2014, within two to three months, the practice of getting certificates attested by gazetted officers was done away with. Thereafter within a year, Prime Minister spoke from the ramparts of Red Fort about the abolition of interview in job recruitment so that a level playing field could be provided. In pension, face recognition technology was introduced so that the elder citizens did not have to go through the tedious process of getting a life certificate. Most of the functioning was converted online and in order to bring in transparency, accountability and citizen participation, the human interface was reduced to the bare minimum.
Talking about grievance redressal, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that the grievance redressal mechanism was shifted to CPGRAMS as a result of which about 20 lakh grievances are received every year in comparison to just 2 lakhs every year before this government came in because this government followed a policy of time bound redressal and gained the confidence of the people.
In the field of healthcare, the Minister said that use of technology and telemedicine during Covid pandemic has shown how innovation can deliver healthcare in the remote and rural areas.
This Government has not only promoted technology and innovation but also StartUps to undertake new innovations even in the health sector thereby transforming lives of citizens.
Dr Jitendra Singh concluded that earlier our priorities were misplaced and for seventy years it continued to be misplaced because we were being governed by status quoist governments. But for the first time in 9 years, there is sought to be undone what should have been undone in all these years. He expressed happiness in Yashraj Research Foundation’s (YRF) efforts to carry forward the Prime Minister’s message to every household in the country.