PM Modi calls for youth, universities engagement in policymaking, stresses, AI, research and innovation

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for greater engagement between government departments, universities, and the youth to integrate fresh perspectives into policymaking. As part of his ongoing outreach to younger generations, Modi said that such a wider engagement can birth new and unconventional ideas. Chairing the third high-level meeting with secretaries, Modi emphasised the importance of collective effort and cited the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic and the West Asia crisis, when officials across departments worked together.

"The Prime Minister called for greater engagement between government departments, universities and young people to bring fresh perspectives in policymaking," a statement from his office said. Modi's comments came against the backdrop of student protests over the NEET paper leak at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and in other parts of the country last month.

The prime minister himself reached out to the students through social media on multiple occasions after the protests, which led to the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as education minister. Modi also said on X that in his meeting with the secretaries, he discussed with them the future action agenda of ministries and departments pertaining to infrastructure and connectivity, security and external affairs.

Modi stresses data and AI use

"Emphasised the need for effective use of data and AI, wider engagement with universities as well as greater focus on research and innovation across sectors," he said. The prime minister said that secretaries, in addition to thinking about immediate issues and statistics, should also think with a long-term perspective on shaping the country's future.

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Silos are not merely an organisational problem but also a problem of mindset, he asserted, and exhorted officials to take ownership of their responsibilities. The prime minister called for effective use of Artificial Intelligence while ensuring human intervention and judgement, as he termed data a national asset and a resource for the future.

Modi also pointed to differences in the manner in which data is collected and managed for various purposes, and called for finding solutions that allow greater interoperability.

Focus on research and maritime growth

He also called for greater focus on research and innovation, especially in the defence sector to make it more competitive at the global level. The prime minister also discussed the need for a comprehensive approach to strengthening India's maritime sector. He pointed out that shipbuilding was accorded infrastructure status, as he called for assessing whether the intended objectives are being achieved. Modi reiterated the need for India to move from port development to port-led development.

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Modi seeks stronger departmental coordination

The prime minister emphasised the need for better connectivity between manufacturing units and export-oriented units to fully leverage the nation's maritime infrastructure. He encouraged senior officers to develop greater personal and informal engagement with junior colleagues and to build stronger networks across cadres and departments. The secretaries shared their experiences on sectoral priorities, emerging challenges and implementation issues.