'Break silos, engage more with youth': PM Modi’s message to officials after key high-level meeting

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the importance of engaging with the youth during a high-level meeting with top government officials. The meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister at his residence, focused on the future action agenda of ministries and departments dealing with infrastructure, connectivity, security, external affairs, and governance.

Modi stressed that secretaries should consider long-term perspectives while addressing immediate issues and statistics. He highlighted that silos, both horizontal and vertical, are not just organizational problems but also mindset issues. To combat this, he called for greater engagement between government departments, universities, and young people to bring in fresh perspectives in policymaking.

The Prime Minister also emphasized the significance of collective effort, drawing parallels with the Covid-19 pandemic and the challenges posed by the West Asia war, where officials worked together effectively. He stressed that such coordination mechanisms should become an integral part of the government's work culture.

Modi also discussed the potential of Artificial Intelligence, calling for its effective use while ensuring human intervention and judgment. He termed data as a national asset and a resource for the future, but noted that its full potential is often not realized due to departmental silos and fragmented systems.

Recently, Modi has been frequently referring to youth-related issues in his speeches, including his 80th Independence Day address from the Red Fort. In his address, where he mentioned the youth of the country roughly 50 times, he announced several initiatives focused on the youth, such as free online coaching classes for competitive exams, an AI skilling program, and a nationwide sports talent hunt for children aged 5 to 15.