What is the story about?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a three-day meeting with chief secretaries in the national capital this week. According to a senior government official,
PM Modi will chair the fifth national conference of chief secretaries in Delhi in a bid to consolidate the Centre-state coordination. Several officials, including young district collectors and magistrates from states and Union Territories, as well as several Union ministries, are likely to attend the conference. "The fifth national conference of chief secretaries will be held in Delhi from December 26-28, and it will be a significant step towards further strengthening the partnership between the Centre and state governments," the official told PTI.
National Conference of Chief Secretaries: What's on the agenda?
The marathon meeting will run from Friday to Sunday and is the fifth such summit at a national level between top officials of the central government and chief secretaries. Officials said the programme will revolve around five key themes: women and child welfare, school and higher education, sports, and skill development. Both the Centre and the states are expected to make presentations outlining future progress and roadmaps, sources told TOI. The activities planned include yoga sessions, meetings, discussions, and team-building exercises.
Meanwhile, NITI Aayog is also expected to participate and share insights on the use of technology in governance and tourism.
The last National Conference of Chief Secretaries was held in 2024, where the PM chaired the concluding day on December 15. According to an official release, the 3-day conference emphasised the evolution and implementation of a common development agenda and blueprint for cohesive action in partnership with the states. It also laid the ground for collaborative action to harness India's demographic dividend by promoting entrepreneurship, enhancing skilling initiatives, and creating sustainable employment opportunities for both rural and urban populations.
Four special sessions were held on Frontier Technology for Viksit Bharat, Developing Cities as Economic Growth Hubs, Economic Reforms in States for Investment, and Capacity Building through Mission Karmayogi.
The first Chief Secretaries Conference was held in June 2022 at Dharamshala, followed by the second and third conferences in January 2023 and December 2023 in New Delhi, respectively.
(With agency inputs)
