Aspirational Districts Should be ‘Inspirational Districts’ of India: PM

Prime Minister is currently presiding over a 3-day national conference of chief secretaries in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. 'Crop Diversification and Achieving Self-Sufficiency in Oilseeds, Pulses, and Other Agri-Commodities' and 'Implementation of National Education Policy-School Education' were discussed.

The 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav: Road to 2047' and the Aspirational Districts Programme were discussed. The Prime Minister praised the success of the Aspirational Districts Programme, saying the government should strive to make these the "Inspirational Districts" of India and expand the programme to the block and city levels.

Prime Minister emphasized that India's best and brightest young officers should be assigned to Aspirational Districts to bring about visible changes through their innovative thinking and new ideas. He stated that the experience and knowledge they gained while working in these districts would be unparalleled and beneficial to the entire country.

Speaking about education, the Prime Minister stated that by leveraging digital technology and learning mobile apps, teachers' training can be strengthened. He suggested that award-winning retired school teachers be enlisted to visit schools and train teachers. He suggested that a dedicated TV channel for teacher training be established.

It may be recalled that the GoI announced in the Budget 2022-23 that 200 TV channels would be launched to improve access to high-quality education in the country's most remote areas. The Prime Minister proposed holding competitions among young entrepreneurs, start-ups, and youth from different states to create quality content in various mediums such as drama, animation, mono-acting, and so on in regional languages. The most talented content creators would be recognized.

During the lunch break, the topic of "Reducing Compliance Burden" was discussed at each table.

Several strategies for 'Aatmanirbhar Krishi' and a digital agriculture mission were also discussed. The importance of greater coordination between the Centre and the states in driving India's infrastructure growth story through PM-GatiShakti was also emphasized.

The Secretary of Finance and Expenditure led an interactive session on the importance of sound fiscal management by states and union territories. He stressed the importance of rationalizing schemes and autonomous bodies, as well as measures to reduce the revenue deficit.

In each session, all states and union territories actively participated, raised concerns, highlighted best practises, and proposed potential solutions. The national conference of chief secretaries is a first-of-its-kind effort to strengthen the partnership between the Centre and the states in order to develop a shared vision for Amrit Kaal.