NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a three-day national conference of chief secretaries in New Delhi from Friday to Sunday, bringing together senior bureaucrats from states, Union Territories and key Union ministries for discussions on governance and policy implementation.
This is the fifth such conference. According to a senior government official, the meeting is aimed at strengthening Centre–state coordination and reviewing progress on key development priorities.
Chief secretaries, senior Union government officials, young district collectors and district magistrates from states and UTs are expected to participate.
Official sources said the conference will focus on five key themes — women and child welfare, school education and higher education, sports development, skill development and employability.
Detailed presentations and discussions are planned, with both the Centre and the states highlighting successful initiatives, challenges, and future roadmaps for each theme. Union Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan is likely to make a detailed presentation and formally brief participants on the conference’s main agenda.
States will also make thematic presentations. Kerala is expected to present on higher education initiatives, while Tamil Nadu is likely to focus on skill development and workforce-related programmes.
Rajasthan is expected to make a presentation on the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ scheme, a women-centric welfare programme, along with inputs on school education and other flagship schemes.
Officials will also participate in yoga sessions, meetings, discussions and team-building exercises. These activities have been part of the format to encourage interaction among senior officials.
The first conference Modi chaired was held in Dharamshala in June 2022. It focused on strengthening Centre–state partnerships and featured discussions on implementing the National Education Policy, urban governance, and crop diversification.
A special session on “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav – Roadmap to 2047” was also held, along with discussions on ease of doing business, saturation of government schemes, last-mile delivery, PM Gati Shakti and capacity building.
The second conference, in Delhi in January 2023, focussed on sustained economic growth and job creation. The third conference that December emphasised ease of living, drinking water, healthcare, AI in governance, and flagship schemes. The fourth conference was also held in Delhi in December 2024 on a common development agenda and coordinated action with states.